Survivors, families sue New Orleans over deadly terror attack on New Year’s

• Survivors and families of victims of the New Year’s terror attack in New Orleans are suing the city, police, a construction company and the French Quarter Management District for failing to protect the crowds. The lawsuit represents 21 plaintiffs impacted by the terror attack.
• The plaintiffs argue the city was aware of safety risks and failed to install permanent bollards to protect pedestrians.
• NOLA officials previously said the area is susceptible to a mass casualty event because of how busy it is.

Survivors and families of victims affected by a deadly truck rampage in New Orleans on New Year’s are taking legal action against city leaders. The lawsuit accuses them of failing to implement safety measures that could have prevented the tragedy.

The attack, which killed 14 people and injured 57 others, occurred when Shamsud-Din Jabbar allegedly drove his truck through crowds celebrating in the French Quarter.

Lawsuit names 21 plaintiffs

Two New Orleans-based law firms have teamed up to represent 21 plaintiffs, including the families of those who were killed or severely injured in the Jan. 1 attack. The lawsuit, filed last week, names the City of New Orleans, the New Orleans Police Department, a construction company, and the French Quarter Management District as defendants.

The plaintiffs argue city leaders and private companies acted negligently when they failed to provide adequate safety systems in the French Quarter despite knowing the area was vulnerable to attacks.

“They always knew they had actual notice. They knew those people were vulnerable and exposed to anybody who had the intent of driving around a lone police cruiser to cause mass carnage on that night,” said attorney Antonio Romanucci.

Among the plaintiffs are Antoinette Klima, who lost her son’s father, Reggie Hunter, in the attack. Klima said she received a call on New Year’s informing her that Hunter had not survived.

Survivors of the attack said they now live in fear of large public gatherings. They blame the city for not doing enough to protect those celebrating in the French Quarter.

Call for accountability

The lawsuit claims the safety measures, such as permanent bollards to protect pedestrians from vehicles, should have been in place before the celebrations, which included the annual Sugar Bowl college football game. The plaintiffs argue city officials were focused on completing construction in time for the upcoming Super Bowl.

The French Quarter is one of the busiest areas in New Orleans, hosting up to 20,000 pedestrians in eight hours. It makes it a prime target for mass casualty events.

City officials previously discussed safety upgrades

New Orleans officials had acknowledged the need for safety upgrades in the French Quarter, citing the potential for mass casualty events like acts of terrorism. A report in 2017 highlighted the area’s vulnerability due to its high pedestrian traffic.

The lawsuit argues New Orleans failed to prioritize the installation of permanent bollards. The lawsuit states without it left the area exposed when police say Jabbar carried out his attack.