NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 4, 2025) — A prominent Tennessee aviation attorney says passengers injured aboard a Delta flight diverted after severe turbulence may have legal grounds for compensation under international air travel law.
Delta Air Lines Flight DL56, en route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced violent turbulence shortly after reaching cruising altitude late Tuesday night. According to flight data, the Airbus A330 suddenly climbed 1,000 feet before descending sharply over Aspen, Wyoming, prompting an emergency diversion to Minneapolis. Twenty-five passengers were taken to local hospitals for injuries upon landing.
“The turbulence was significant enough to almost certainly qualify as an accident under the international aviation convention that applied to the flight,” said Keith Williams, an aviation attorney with the Keith Williams Law Group in Nashville. “Under the Montreal Convention, airlines can be held liable up to a certain amount for injuries that occur onboard international flights, even if the airline did not cause the accident, and they can be held liable for even higher amounts where the airline was negligent in causing what happened.”
The Montreal Convention, a binding treaty signed by more than 130 countries—including the U.S. and the Netherlands—requires airlines to compensate injured passengers on international flights under specific circumstances.
Williams, who has handled numerous airline injury cases, including under the Montreal Convention, says passengers should consider acting quickly. “It’s unclear if passengers were warned about the turbulence or if protocol was followed in the cockpit. What is clear is that as an international flight, any claims will certainly fall under the Montreal Convention,” he said.
“When turbulence rises to this level, passengers can experience emotional trauma and serious physical injuries, as well, and passengers may have real legal rights,” Williams added.
For more information, call (615) 444-2900 or visit www.keithwilliamslawgroup.com.
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About Keith Williams Law Group
With two convenient locations, one in downtown Nashville and the other on the historic town square in Lebanon, Keith Williams Law Group can help its clients achieve the maximum possible compensation for their injuries. Its attorneys represent those who have been injured as a result of car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, aviation accidents, highway work zone accidents, defective products, and trucker broker negligence. For more information, call (615) 444-2900 or visit www.keithwilliamslawgroup.com.
