Delta Air Lines has agreed to pay $79 million to settle a lawsuit after one of their planes dumped 15,000 gallons of jet fuel on school children in Los Angeles County.
On August 25, Delta settled a class-action lawsuit filed in 2020. The suit alleged that one of its airplanes that was experiencing engine trouble dumped its jet fuel over schoolyards and densely populated neighborhoods near Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Delta Air Lines plane departed from Los Angeles, California to Shanghai, China on January 14, 2020. However, the Boeing 777-200 jet never left LA County and quickly returned to Los Angeles International Airport with engine trouble.
Before landing safely at LAX, the plane dumped 15,000 gallons of fuel to reach a safe landing weight. According to a statement from Delta Air Lines, one of the plane’s two engine’s lost thrust shortly after takeoff. The company said the plane was carrying enough fuel for the 13-hour flight. However, it exceeds the maximum landing weight of 160,000 pounds.
It’s noted that the weight of a full load of fuel risks plane damage upon landing. Such damage would be an expensive repair for the airline. Additionally, if no damage were to occur, airlines try to avoid overweight landings as they require plane inspection. Inspections thus result in out of service planes.
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Los Angeles County Schools And Homeowners File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Delta Air Lines After Plane Dumps 15,000 Gallons Of Jet Fuel Over Cudahy
After the Delta plane’s fuel dump, Los Angeles County firefighters were subsequently called to schools in Cudahy. Reportedly, nearly 60 schoolchildren and teachers were examined for minor skin and lung irritations. Fortunately, none required hospitalization or further treatment.
Shortly after the incident, teachers from Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy filed a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines. The teachers claimed they sought medical treatment after the incident and experienced physical and emotional pain.
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The lawsuit accused the major airline of exposing the school’s children and teachers to jet fuel that fell from the sky like raindrops with “overwhelming” fumes. The lawsuit claimed the victims had fuel on clothes, skin, and eyes.
The school’s lawsuit was shortly followed by a class-action suit filed by several Cudahy homeowners. Additionally, other schools, including Pioneer High School in Whittier, also claimed students were struck by the jet fuel.
In court documents, Delta Air Lines claimed its pilots of the plane in question decided to dump 15,000 gallons of jet fuel “to reduce the serious risks of flying and landing an overweight airplane on just one engine.”
Delta Air Lines Settles $79 Million Lawsuit After Plane Dumps 15,000 Gallons Of Jet Fuel On School And Surrounding Properties In LA County
Upon settling the $79 million lawsuit, Delta said it agreed to the settlement without any admission of liability to avoid the legal expenses of a trial and “to eliminate the distraction and other burdens this litigation has caused to Delta’s business.”
The settlement totals $78.8 million, which has been put into a fund. However, after attorneys’ fees and other court costs, it translates into $50.6 million for victims. The fund will be sliced into thirds, with two-thirds, or about $33.9 million, set for property owners, and one-third, or about $16.7 million, for residents.
At bare minimum, a property owner will receive $888.82 per claim. Meanwhile, each resident will receive $104.34, according to court documents. There is an estimated 160,000 residents and 38,000 properties affected.
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