An Austin law firm says it plans to sue the city and county of Denver on behalf of passengers aboard a Frontier Airlines flight involved in last week’s fatal runway incident at Denver International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the May 8 incident, said Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 struck a pedestrian during takeoff.
Authorities identified the man killed as 41-year-old Michael Mott. Investigators said Mott jumped a perimeter fence and entered the runway area before he was struck by the plane within about two minutes. His death was ruled a suicide.
The lawsuit alleges airport security failures allowed a man to access the runway, leading to the deadly incident and traumatizing passengers aboard the plane.
The flight was carrying 224 passengers, according to officials.
Who is filing the lawsuit?
Austin-based DJC Law said it is representing several Denver-area passengers who were aboard the flight. The firm is working alongside Ramos Law, which represents additional passengers.
The firms said in a joint statement that passengers suffered traumatic physical and psychological effects from the incident.
“Our clients — passengers who paid for safe transportation and instead lived through one of the most preventable aviation incidents in recent memory — are now confronting both physical and psychological injuries arising from that night,” the firms said.
You can read the full joint statement below.
How much are the law firms seeking?
According to the joint statement, the firms are seeking $10 million in damages for their clients.
The attorneys allege there were “multiple failures in the design, maintenance, monitoring, and operation of the airport’s perimeter security and intrusion-detection systems,” as well as failures to quickly alert air traffic controllers and suspend runway operations after the breach.
DJC Law attorney Andres Pereira said passengers expected to travel safely.
“This was, in the words of Denver International Airport’s own chief executive officer, a ‘horrible and preventable tragedy,’” Pereira said.
During a Tuesday news conference, Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said airport officials are continuing to investigate how the incident unfolded.
“Kind of tough for us to answer about what went on within the aircraft,” Washington said. “We are working with Frontier Airlines to determine what we can do as an airport to facilitate sort of a better evacuation.”
