A family suing American Airlines over the death of a ground worker had their case strengthened after the airline was fined for work safety violations.
American Airlines’ subsidiary Piedmont Airlines was fined nearly $20,000 for three OSHA violations.
Kendrick Hudson was killed when the baggage truck he was driving flipped over.
He had swerved to avoid a dropped suitcase on the tarmac at Charlotte Douglas International Airport last year.
The family recently filed a suit claiming the working environment was dangerous as there was inadequate lighting on the tarmac.
The lawsuit also named the airport operator as a defendant.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Piedmont for failing to ensure employees wear seatbelts, not inspecting the baggage vehicles at the end of each worker’s shift, and not re-certifying vehicle drivers every three years.
However OSHA did not fine the airline for inadequate lighting.
The family’s lawsuit claimed the airport ‘failed to timely and reasonably inspect the adequacy of lighting of the tarmac,’ and the airline failed to ensure that the areas it worked in were adequately lit.
"We are currently reviewing the information provided and will use it to work with the city of Charlotte, the airport and our labor groups to continually increase the level of workplace safety," the airline said in a statement.
