Delta Air Lines Crashes
Handling Complex Aviation Litigation Against Delta
Wisner Baum is a nationally-recognized law firm with an extensive history of providing legal representation in aviation accidents, both commercial and private. Throughout our almost 50-year history, we have represented plaintiffs against the majority of commercial U.S. airlines involved in a crash and nearly two dozen foreign air carriers as well – including crashes involving Delta Air Lines.
Serving clients nationwide from our Los Angeles offices, our attorneys are highly skilled and respected, and have fought hard to improve safety in the aviation industry while also recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for people affected by plane crashes. Our legal experience includes litigation against Delta Air Lines and other major airline carriers.
Contact us at (855) 948-5098 right away for a free consultation on your Delta Air Lines lawsuit.
A Snapshot of Delta Air Lines
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Delta Air Lines, Inc., operates out of its major hubs located in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. The company began in 1928 as a crop-dusting service and air mail delivery.
As the company grew, it merged with or purchased other airlines, including:
- Northeast Airlines
- Western Airlines
- Northwest Airlines
- Chicago Air Lines
- Southern Air Lines
After decades of exponential growth, Delta now has major operations in nearly every region of the world and a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. Delta, through its SkyTeam partners, operates approximately 15,000 flights each day, and also has joint venture partnerships with international partners, including Air France-KLM, Alitalia and Virgin Australia. Delta is part of the SkyTeam alliance, which includes 18 other member airlines.
Delta Air Lines also transports more than 180 million customers on an annual basis and offers flights to more than 304 destinations in 52 countries. The airline employs about 86,500 employees worldwide. In 2017, Delta Air Lines had pre-tax income of $5.5 billion.
Delta Air Lines’ Fleet
Delta’s fleet is one of the largest in the world, with 909 aircraft. The carrier’s fleet has a mix of Airbus, Boeing, and McDonnell Douglas aircraft, with Boeing making up more than half the airline’s planes.
The current fleet includes:
- Airbus A220-100 — 12 in service
- Airbus A220-300 — 0 in service (deliveries begin in 2020)
- Airbus A319-100 — 57 in service
- Airbus A320-200 — 62 in service
- Airbus A321-200 — 80 in service
- Airbus A321neo — 0 in service (deliveries begin in 2020)
- Airbus A330-200 — 11 in service
- Airbus A330-300 — 31 in service
- Airbus A330-900neo — 0 in service (deliveries began in 2019)
- Airbus A350-900 — 13 in service
- Boeing 717-200 — 91 in service
- Boeing 737-700 — 10 in service
- Boeing 737-800 — 77 in service
- Boeing 737-900ER — 126 in service
- Boeing 757-200 — 111 in service
- Boeing 757-300 — 16 in service
- Boeing 767 300ER — 57 in service
- Boeing 767-400 ER — 21 in service
- Boeing 777-200ER — 8 in service
- Boeing 777-200LR — 10 in service
- McDonnell Douglas MD-88 — 78 in service
- McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 — 36 in service
Delta Airlines Accidents and Incidents
Unfortunately, since 1947, Delta has been involved in several accidents, resulting in the loss of over 300 people. Like all airlines, it can be plagued by negligence at every level, especially now that the company has grown to become an international airline giant. Whether your airplane accident was caused by a defective part, pilot error, inflight injury, or failure to maintain, our experienced team can help you navigate the process of filing a claim against Delta or its partner companies.
Case Study: A Hard Landing for Delta Airlines
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-200 experienced a hard landing at Ponta Delgada Airport on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores, damaging the aircraft’s fuselage and its landing gear. Flight DL414 was carrying passengers on a seasonal route between JFK Airport in New York and the Azores when the runway incident occurred at around 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019.
Although the plane was intact, portions of the fuselage crumpled in the landing, thus placing this airplane out of service, resulting in the cancellation of the return flight, Flight DL415. While few physical injuries were reported, this recent crash served as a reminder of how quickly a seemingly uneventful flight can turn terrifying and put people’s safety at risk.
Officials have not said what caused the Boeing 757 to land with such force that the fuselage was caused to crumple in several places. Although the Azores area is known to have extremely windy weather, it is not clear whether that was a factor in this incident. After the plane landed, it successfully taxied and passengers disembarked in the usual way. Experts suggest damage to the plane could have been caused by the aircraft’s nose gear contacting the runway with excess force.
Following the incident, a spokesperson for Delta said the airline is “investigating damage to the 757 aircraft that operated flight 414 from JFK to Ponta Delgada, Azores on Saturday. A replacement aircraft was dispatched to operate the return flight back to New York.”
Call (855) 948-5098 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case evaluation.
Our Case Results
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$265 Million Settlement Fatal Train Crash
In 2016, Wisner Baum attorney Timothy A. Loranger and six other attorneys in the Plaintiffs’ Management Committee were able to secure a $265 million settlement for victims of the 2015 Amtrak 188 derailment in Philadelphia, one of the largest in the U.S. for 2016.
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$14 Million Settlement A Major US Plane Crash
Wisner Baum obtained a $14 million settlement for the death of a passenger in a major US plane crash.
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$12 Million Settlement Helicopter Crash
Wisner Baum secured a $12 million settlement for a passenger who was injured in a helicopter crash.
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$10 Million Settlement A Major Foreign Plane Crash
Wisner Baum obtained a $10 million settlement for the death of a passenger in a major foreign plane crash.
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$2.0 Billion Verdict Personal Injury
In May of 2019, the jury in the case of Pilliod et al. v, Monsanto Company ordered the agrochemical giant to pay $2.055 billion in damages to the plaintiffs, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a Bay Area couple in their 70s.
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$80 Million Verdict Personal Injury
Wisner Baum attorneys served on the trial team in the case of Hardeman v. Monsanto Company, which resulted in an $80 million jury verdict for the plaintiff, Edwin Hardeman.
Client-Focused Representation
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