The World Trade Center lawsuits continue. The initial arguments for a trial in which the developer of the World Trade Center claims that he should get billions of dollars from the airlines whose planes were crashed into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, began on Monday.
Larry Silverstein's company, World Trade Center Properties, has attempted to sue several airlines. The company is still paying a 99-year-lease on the towers and has already collected more than $4 billion from insurance for the disaster, yet they want more. Silverstein is looking for billions from United and American Airlines, Boeing Co. and other companies in the aviation industry, claiming they were liable for the destruction, NBC reports.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who handles hundreds of 9/11-related cases, will rule after Wednesday's closing arguments. The trial has no jury.
Hellerstein has to determine if the insurance money that Silverstein had collected should offset the damages he claims the airlines owe him. The airlines argue that he would be double dipping if he was to collect damages in addition to the insurance money that he has already collected. They said he has more than enough money to rebuild an even better World Trade Center.
Silverstein argues that these are unrelated issues and he claims that the expenses to rebuild the area have cost much more than what he collected from insurance companies.
If the judge sides with Silverstein, the case would go on to a full liability trial, which would be a much larger issue.
Silverstein says that Boeing, which designed the jets, the security systems at Boston's Logan Airport, where United Flight 175 departed and those at the Portland, Maine airport where American Flight 11 originated, are responsible for not intercepting the hijackers. He says that the airlines are liable for not protecting the passengers after the plane was hijacked.
If Silverstein wins the trial, he could collect $3.5 billion at most.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
