Delta Air Lines has made a goodwill gesture of offering $30,000 to each passenger who survived the recent plane crash in Toronto, where 21 people were injured. The total amount would be $2.3 million if all passengers accept the offer.
Three aviation law firms have been in contact with or retained by multiple passengers from Delta flight 4819. According to experts, this might be the beginning of the compensation that the airline will eventually pay.
The last passenger to be treated in a hospital has now been released, and Delta confirmed that the offer comes with “no strings attached” and does not affect any rights. However, the full details of the offer remain private due to respect for the communication with customers.
Aviation law firms believe that lawsuits are inevitable, as survivors band together and discuss their experiences. The Montreal Convention 1999 applies to this incident, which establishes airline liability in cases of injury or death. Experts warn that damages awards can exceed $200,000 if the airline is found negligent, suggesting a larger payout for the passengers.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian downplayed the incident, stating that the flight crew performed as expected and did not deviate from safety protocols. However, experts expect multiple lawsuits to be filed due to the severity of the injuries sustained by the survivors.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2025/02/20/delta-crash-lawsuit-airline-flip