A fatal medevac jet crash has insurers competing for a $10 million policy payout. The lead carrier wants a judge to take over the claims.
On January 31, 2025, a Learjet 55 operated by Med Jets, S.A. crashed shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Regional Airport. The crash killed all six people onboard and two more on the ground. More than two dozen people were injured. According to the filing, the blast damaged around 300 properties - four of them completely destroyed, and at least six seriously damaged.
The aircraft was insured by El Aguila Compania de Seguros, a Mexican carrier. On July 7, El Aguila and Med Jets filed an interpleader action in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. They’re asking the court to take control of the $10 million policy limit and manage the incoming claims.
Their position is clear: the number and scale of claims will exceed the policy cap, and they want the court to distribute the remaining funds and shield them from further liability. The filing does not admit any fault by Med Jets.
The policy - number AVI2400000000020 - was effective from June 18, 2024, to June 18, 2025, and insured the aircraft involved in the crash, tail number XA-UCI. It covers bodily injury and property damage, with a single per-aircraft limit of $10 million, regardless of how many people are injured or how many claims are filed.
“Bodily injury” includes physical harm, illness, mental anguish, and death. “Property damage” includes physical destruction and loss of use - even if the property wasn’t physically touched. The policy also states that El Aguila’s duty to defend ends when limits are exhausted and gives the insurer the right to settle claims without admitting liability.
El Aguila says it expects claims from individuals, estates, insurers, and businesses. Three major US insurers - Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, and The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company - are asserting subrogation claims based on payouts they’ve already made.
Also listed as claimants: Mattress Firm, Raising Cane’s Restaurants, Roosevelt Pharmacy, Four Seasons Diner, and the City of Philadelphia. The filing includes over 200 named claimants and placeholders for many more.
This case raises serious questions about managing mass liability when disaster strikes. For insurance professionals, it’s a sharp reminder of how quickly even high-limit policies can get overwhelmed - and why legal tools like interpleader are essential to control exposure and avoid inconsistent judgments.
