Delta Airlines faces multiple lawsuits following the crash in Toronto last week, despite providing $30,000 for each passenger on an unfortunate flight.
According to CBS News, the legal battle is just beginning and more lawsuits are expected in the coming months.
The flight was run by the efforts of a Delta subsidiary and carried 76 passengers when it landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport. If accepted by everyone except some passengers, the Delta reward offer totals around $2.3 million if they argue that it’s not enough.
“Dressed with jet fuel”
The Texas man who filed one of the lawsuits alleges he suffered “serious emotional and mental distress” after being “stops upside down” and “drinking with jet fuel.” . He is also seeking compensation for “severe injuries to the head, neck, back, knees and face.”
The second lawsuit filed on behalf of a Minneapolis woman alleges she deals with “extreme physical and mental injuries.” The lawsuit accussed flight crew of failing to follow “the most basic steps of the landing approach.”
Under the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that governs airline liability, passengers injured on international flights can claim compensation of up to $200,000. However, if negligence is proven, the amount can be even higher. The treaty gives passengers two years to file a lawsuit.
More legal claims are expected as 21 people were taken to hospital after the crash. Delta CEO Ed Bastian confirmed that all injured people have been discharged from the hospital.
Delta protects the pilot
In speculation about the pilot’s eligibility, Delta issued a statement confirming the eligibility. The airline said both pilots are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The captain has experience in “pilot training and flight safety capabilities,” but the first mate, hired in last year’s efforts, holds “the highest level of pilot certification in the United States.”
Delta also assured passengers that the $30,000 offer “is not accompanied by a string and does not affect the rights.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA are helping Canadian authorities determine what went wrong. The aircraft was removed from the runway on Thursday, but the cause of the collision is under investigation.
