The families of victims killed or injured in the Nov. 4 UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, have filed several wrongful death lawsuits, attorneys announced Wednesday. (Credit: WDRB)
Families of victims of the fatal Nov. 4 UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Ky., filed the first wrongful death lawsuits related to the case on Wednesday, with attorneys saying the plane should never have taken off.
The MD-11 plane was en route to Honolulu, Hawaii, carrying about 38,000 gallons of jet fuel when it crashed in an industrial park near Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Authorities confirmed that 14 people were killed and 23 others injured when the plane’s engine fell and caught fire shortly after takeoff.
“When I learned that an engine had separated, I immediately thought of the 1979 American Airlines plane crash in Chicago, where a left engine also separated shortly after takeoff, killing 273 people,” said Robert Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices. “I worked on these very sad cases for years and we got answers for the families who deserved justice.”
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Attorneys held a news conference Wednesday to discuss wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families of victims killed or injured in the Nov. 4 UPS plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky. (WDRB)
According to Clifford, initial expert analysis suggests that MD-11’s catastrophic engine-to-pylon separation may reflect broader industry practices that extend component life and lengthen inspection intervals, which can put profits ahead of safety.
“The recent NTSB report reveals an extreme similarity [to] “The Chicago accident,” he added. “What is new about this case is that the age of the aircraft suggests that this aircraft was old, tired and well beyond its useful life, which certainly raises questions about profit over safety. The aviation industry must learn not to repeat its mistakes. The families who lost loved ones in this accident deserve the truth and full accountability.”
A fire broke out after a UPS cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky. (Secretary Sean Duffy via X)
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The MD-11 lawsuits allege negligence on the part of UPS; UPSAir; Boeing, the engine manufacturer that acquired McDonnell Douglas, the original manufacturer of the MD-11; and VT San Antonio Aerospace, Inc., the company responsible for certain inspections and maintenance less than three weeks before the accident.
“When an engine separates from a large cargo plane during takeoff and the plane explodes in a fireball visible for miles, an entire community is affected,” said Bradley Cosgrove of Clifford Law Offices. “Innocent lives are lost, leaving deep holes in families. Affected survivors are left with lifelong injuries and scars, their normal lives shattered by an explosion that many people compare to a bomb going off next door. This tragedy is an unacceptable event that indicates a catastrophic failure of many safety systems.”
The families of victims Trinadette “Trina” Chavez, 37, and Angela Anderson, 45, spoke at a news conference Wednesday, sharing memories of their loved ones and discussing their search for justice.
Fire and smoke marked where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, November 4, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky. The plane, fully refueled, crashed shortly after takeoff. (Stephen Cohen/Getty Images/Getty Images)
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Chavez, a mother of two, was working at a nearby business, Grade A Auto Parts, at the time of the accident.
“Nena was truly the heart of this family,” said Chavez’s sister, Gabriela Hermosillo-Nunez. “Nena sacrificed everything for us when we were growing up, while others her age were experiencing childhood. Nena, who was a child herself, fed us, changed our diapers, taught us, protected us, and showered us with love.”
Hermosillo-Nunez added that because her sister “sacrificed everything,” she was able to graduate from college, see the world and get the jobs she loves.
“Today we are blessed to have daily memories of her through her beautiful son and daughter,” she said. “They are incredible and we cherish every minute we spend with them. We want to make them proud and do for her children what Nena has always done for us: care for them and protect them. That’s why we are prepared to do what is necessary, with the support of our lawyers, to ensure that there is accountability and that Nena’s children are taken care of. … We intend to defend Nena and fight for her for as long as it takes, just as Nena has always done to us.”
Gabriela Hermosillo-Nunez, sister of one of the 14 victims who died in the plane crash, spoke at a news conference Wednesday. (WDRB)
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Anderson’s daughter, who wrote a statement that was read by lawyers, described her mother as someone “loved by many.”
“I just wish I could see her, hug her and tell her I was proud of everything she worked to accomplish,” her daughter wrote. “I hope she looks down now, knowing that she was loved by many and that we are working to do what it takes to preserve her legacy and reduce the chance that other family, friends and loved ones will have to experience something like this.”
Attorneys said the lawsuits were filed to get answers, promote reforms leading to prevention and achieve justice for the victims’ families.
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“We believe that the failures that led to this accident were failures that could have been avoided, that should have been avoided, and this aircraft should never have been airworthy,” they said. “This accident was preventable, and we hope to find all the reasons why it was preventable.”
Two days after the tragedy, UPS grounded its entire MD-11 fleet, which represents approximately 9% of its fleet.
An FAA Emergency Airworthiness Directive issued the next day grounded all MD-11/MD-11F aircraft until inspections were completed.
