Arizona Trial Begins for 15-Year Old Contaminated Groundwater Lawsuit

After a long, litigious battle over an insurance dispute, the trial against Associated Aviation Underwriters (AAU) refusing to make good on a settlement between more than 1,600 Tucson residents injured by their contaminated water begins today in the Pima County Superior Court.

The plaintiffs, who lived or worked in the neighborhoods surrounding the airport, developed cancer and other diseases due to their exposure to tap water contaminated by trichlorethlyene (TCE), a chemical once used at the airport and at the neighboring Hughes Aircraft plant. The plaintiffs also sued Hughes Aircraft, and settled their claims in 1990.

The Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) settled with the plaintiffs roughly ten years ago, giving them the right to collect the settlement from its insurance providers. However, the companies refused to honor their insurance agreements with TAA, claiming they did not cover the plaintiffs’ injuries. The trial will decide whether insurance policies issued by AAU should compensate the victims for their injuries.