Three students at a Whittier, Calif., high school have sued Delta Airlines after jet fuel dumped on their school last month caused them skin irritation, dizziness, nausea and emotional distress.
The Whittier Daily News reports that the suit filed on behalf of three students at Pioneer High School in Whittier is the second lawsuit filed against the airline after Delta Flight 89 released thousands of gallons of jet fuel on Jan. 14 over parts of Los Angeles County, prompting hazardous materials responses to multiple schools.
No one was hospitalized, but dozens of students and adults were treated for skin irritation and respiratory issues resulting from the falling fuel.
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The lawsuit on behalf of the Whittier students contends that the students were “coated with jet fuel dumped from Flight 89,” and the exposure caused them to suffer “severe emotional distress,” as well as skin irritation, sickness, dizziness, and nausea.
The lawsuit also argues that Delta was negligent, and the incident could have been avoided.
Delta Flight 89 — a Boeing 777 — left Los Angeles International Airport at 11:15 a.m. Jan. 14 bound for Shanghai with 181 people on board. According to Delta, the plane experienced an engine issue requiring the aircraft to return to the airport. "The aircraft landed safely after a release of fuel, which was required as part of normal procedure to reach a safe landing weight,” the airline said.
