The first of what promises to be multiple wrongful death lawsuits related to the UPS plane crash in Louisville is being filed on Wednesday.
Clifford Law Offices of Chicago, along with attorney Sam Aguiar of Louisville, said in an email that it will file the first wrongful death lawsuits on Wednesday against multiple parties in the November 4 crash of a UPS cargo jet shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
“The plaintiffs’ firms will file two lawsuits on Wednesday morning in Kentucky state court on behalf of families who lost loved ones when the MD-11 crashed shortly after takeoff into a nearby industrial park,” according to Clifford Law Offices of Chicago.
Among the plaintiffs are the families of Angela Anderson, a 45-year-old mother who was a customer at a local business when the MD-11 cargo jet lost its left engine and crashed into the industrial park, causing a massive explosion, and Trinadette “Trina” Chavez, a 37-year-old mother of two employed at Grade A Auto Parts, one of the businesses destroyed in the crash.
Fourteen people were killed, and at least 23 others were injured. The MD-11 aircraft was on its way to Honolulu, Hawaii, carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of jet fuel.
The lawsuits allege negligence against UPS, UPS AIR, and also names GE, the engine manufacturer; Boeing, which acquired McDonnell Douglas, the original manufacturer of the MD-11; and VT San Antonio Aerospace, Inc., the company responsible for certain inspections and maintenance before the crash.
The UPS MD-11 fleet is reportedly grounded for months, according to an internal statement issued on November 26 by UPS Airlines President Bill Moore. The crash prompted a fleet-wide inspection after investigators found fatigue cracks in a structural component of the left wing of the downed aircraft.
Central questions remain about whether key components were kept in service too long, and why the systems intended to prevent such disasters failed to function as required, Clifford Law Offices of Chicago said.
“Through these lawsuits, we aim to get the answers that these family members deserve for their heartbreaking losses,” Aguiar explained.
(Photo: Time lapse pictures of one of the MD-11’s engines falling off the aircraft, and the ensuing fire, during an attempted takeoff)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
