Relatives Of Man, 78, Reach Settlement In Fatal LAX Bus Ramp Accident

TORRANCE, CA — Relatives of a 78-year-old man who died about six weeks after his scooter fell off a shuttle bus ramp at Los Angeles International Airport have reached a settlement with two companies sued in connection with the 2021 accident.

Elva Lopez Navarro, widow of the late Ricardo Lopez Rangel, her son and two daughters brought the Torrance Superior Court lawsuit in April 2022, alleging premises liability and negligence. Along with Delta Air Lines Inc., the lawsuit named as defendants ERMC Aviation LLC and ABM Aviation Inc.

In April, Judge David Reinert granted Delta's motion to be dismissed from the case, finding there were no triable issues against the airline, but he did not remove ABM as a defendant in its entirety. ABM facilitates passenger service as well as such airline amenities as cabin cleaning.

Delta contended that ABM was an independent contractor and the judge agreed. Reinert previously denied ERMC's motion that the claims against it be dismissed wholly or in part. ERMC contracts with Delta for passenger assistance and the judge said the firm "assumed" an obligation of care in the decedent's handling because Rangel was provided an accommodation in that he and his scooter were being boarded on a shuttle bus at the time of the accident and that meant he did not have to wait in line with other passengers.

ABM and ERMC were the two settling defendants. No terms were revealed in court papers filed by the family's attorneys with Reinert on Tuesday.

The plaintiffs contended that the shuttle bus ramp was at an unreasonably high incline amounting to an "unsafe, dangerous, condition" and that the ERMC workers who assisted Rangel were negligently hired, trained and supervised, all contributing factors to his scooter's fall from the incline.

City News Service