American, United Face Trial Over 9-11 Towers Destruction

Patricia Hurtado
Bloomberg Businessweek

AMR Corp.’s (AAMRQ) American Airlines and United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) lost a bid to avoid a federal trial over negligence claims tied to the hijacking of jetliners used in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed about 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

On the day of the attacks, two planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center. American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower.

After the attacks, the owners sued insurers, eventually settling for $4.09 billion, the judge said. World Trade Center Properties sued the airlines seeking $8.4 billion, or the estimated cost of replacing the two towers as well as claims of negligence, the judge said in yesterday’s ruling. Hellerstein said he previously rejected the airlines’ bid for summary judgment, or a ruling before trial.

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