Overview
- Two Louisville firms filed 15 suits Thursday in Jefferson Circuit Court on behalf of more than 100 people, naming UPS, Boeing, GE, VT San Antonio Aerospace, the estate of pilot Richard Wartenberg, and Allianz insurers.
- Plaintiffs include families of the 14 people killed, people injured by the blast and fire, and nine businesses destroyed, including Grade A Auto Parts and Recycling.
- The complaints argue the crash was preventable, pointing to NTSB findings of fatigue cracks in the left engine pylon’s bearing race, a ring that helps hold the engine to the wing, and alleging inadequate inspection, maintenance, and dispatch decisions.
- Attorneys say settlement talks failed and they added the pilot’s estate under notice-pleading rules, while UPS said it is supporting those affected and working with federal investigators.
- The NTSB will hold a two-day investigative hearing on May 19–20 that could refine the technical cause and influence how the lawsuits proceed.