More than 500 Delta Air Lines employees have filed complaints about their new uniforms , saying that the uniforms caused them to suffer from fatigue, migraines, ringing ears, nosebleeds, skin blisters, rashes, vocal cord dysfunction and breathing difficulties.
Other than a handful of onground employees, a majority of these symptoms have been experienced by flight attendants. The new line of uniforms were manufactured by Lands’ End and Delta flight attendants have been required to wear them since May 2018.
Since then, more than 500 employees have decided to sue Land’s End for providing uniforms to Delta that caused some people to experience health problems. These claims have been filed in several different states, including Georgia. Delta Air Lines is based in Atlanta.
Attorney Tom Holder, founding partner of Gerber & Holder Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, spoke to a number of Delta employees who also want to file claims for workers’ compensation benefits. Most of these individuals have continued working and may ask only for medical benefits.
According to WorkCompCentral.com:
“Holder said he has spoken with a number of Delta workers, most of whom have not stopped working and may ask only for medical benefits, said. One reason for filing the claims is Georgia’s statute of limitations, which provides a window of only one year, but the clock does not start running as long as the claimant is still working, he said.”
In addition to meeting with these employees and gathering testimonies, toxicology tests have also been performed to check the uniforms for any excess chemicals and heavy metals present in the fabric of the uniforms. Such toxic materials may be endangering the health of the flight attendants required to wear them.
Formaldehyde, mercury, chromium, antimony, fluorine and bromine all came back in the toxicology reports. All of these toxins reached levels beyond what is considered safe.
In response, Delta released a public statement:
“Our top priority continues to be the safety of our employees, which is why we invested in a rigorous toxicology study to determine if there was a universal scientific issue with the uniform. “The results of the study confirm our uniforms meet the highest textile standards … with the exception of the optional flight attendant apron, which we removed from the collection.”
This isn’t the first time U.S. airline employees have complained about their uniforms posing a health danger. American Airlines had a similar problem in 2017. And unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last either.
Tom holder has represented injured workers, widows and families in the state of Georgia since 1984. As a founding partner of the law firm of Gerber & Holder and past president of the Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group, he regularly takes on some of the biggest workers’ compensation cases in the country.
If you or a loved one are suffering from a work-related injury or illness, don’t hesitate to contact us today. Take the first step to getting the compensation you deserve by scheduling your free consultation to speak with one of our dedicated professionals.
