MyNewsLA reported that relatives of Ricardo Lopez Rangel reached a settlement with ABM Aviation Inc. and ERMC Aviation LLC in a lawsuit tied to a 2021 Los Angeles International Airport ramp incident. Terms were not disclosed in the court papers described by the outlet.
Relatives of Ricardo Lopez Rangel, a 78-year-old man who died weeks after a mobility scooter incident at Los Angeles International Airport, have reached a settlement with two companies sued over the accident, MyNewsLA reported on August 5, 2026.
What the latest filing said
According to MyNewsLA, Elva Lopez Navarro and Rangel's children brought the Torrance Superior Court case in April 2022, alleging premises liability and negligence. The outlet reported that ABM Aviation Inc. and ERMC Aviation LLC were the settling defendants, and that the family attorneys' filing did not disclose settlement terms.
MyNewsLA also reported that Judge David Reinert had granted Delta Air Lines Inc.'s dismissal motion in April after finding no triable issues against the airline. The same report said Reinert previously declined to dismiss ERMC entirely, citing the company's passenger-assistance role and the accommodation provided while Rangel and his scooter were being boarded on a shuttle bus.
Earlier allegations in the case
When the lawsuit was filed in 2022, HeySoCal reported that the family alleged Rangel fell from a steep ramp while preparing to board a Delta flight from LAX to Hawaii. HeySoCal reported that the complaint alleged a head laceration, skull fracture and other injuries, and that Rangel died on August 26, 2021.
Both outlets attributed the allegations to the family's lawsuit. MyNewsLA reported that the plaintiffs contended the ramp was at an unreasonably high incline and that ERMC workers were negligently hired, trained and supervised. HeySoCal reported in 2022 that the family sought unspecified damages.
Source notes
| Source | What it reported | Date |
|---|---|---|
| MyNewsLA | Settlement reached with ABM and ERMC; terms not disclosed | August 5, 2026 |
| HeySoCal | Original lawsuit allegations after the LAX ramp incident | April 9, 2022 |
For related information about local transportation injury cases, see Lederer & Nojima's Los Angeles bus and train accident lawyer page.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.