Danger on the Tarmac: Family Sues American Airlines Over Dangerous Conditions After Luggage Cart Driver Killed in Charlotte
DALLAS — The family of a man killed in August in a luggage cart accident at Charlotte International Airport is suing American Airlines and taking aim at the industry after a string of tarmac deaths over the last decade.
The Corpus Christi law firm of Hillard Martinez Gonzales LLP filed the suit after Kendrick Hudson died on Aug. 2 when he swerved to avoid a piece of luggage on the tarmac and his baggage-hauling vehicle rolled. The City of Charlotte is also named in the lawsuit.
At least 15 workers have been killed working for commercial airlines on U.S. tarmacs since 2010, including five in 2019, according to the law firm’s research. A congressional aviation subcommittee held a hearing last week on the safety of ground workers, spotlighting a part of the airline industry where employees work in tough outdoor conditions, sometimes drive tugs without seatbelts and repetitively lift heavy bags.
Hudson was the only American Airlines employee among ground worker deaths during the last decade, but several have been working for major airlines and carriers such as Delta Air Lines and United, as well as cargo carriers such as UPS and FedEx. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines paid $2 million in a settlement over the 2012 death of ramp agent Jared Dodson, who was killed when he was struck by a mobile lounge at Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport.
Hudson was a baggage handler and driver in Charlotte for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based American Airlines. Charlotte is one of American’s most important hubs, with about 700 departures a day there.
“Our condolences are with the family of Mr. Hudson,” said a statement from American Airlines spokesman Joshua Freed. “Safety is our No. 1 priority and the first consideration in every decision we make and we are committed to providing a safe work environment for all of our team members.”
Freed said an investigation into the accident by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is not yet complete and “no cause has been determined.” State investigations into the accident also are ongoing.
The lawsuit, which only addresses Hudson’s death, said it was “so dark in that area that he could not see the dropped piece of luggage in front of him until he was almost on it – too late for him to safely avoid it.”
Hudson’s abdomen, pelvis and legs were pinned underneath the vehicle and he had multiple fractures from the accident, according to the suit.
“American Airlines knew of the inadequate lighting, and the danger it presents to all those working in the area, yet they chose to stick their head in the sand, as Mr. Hudson and other personnel continued to work in dangerous conditions,” said Alex Hilliard, a lawyer for Hudson’s family.
The area in which the accident occurred is outside Charlotte’s E Concourse.
The case was filed in North Carolina state court.
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