A man hit by a shuttle at Newark Liberty International Airport in January 2024 has filed a lawsuit claiming the driver wasn’t properly vetted before he was hired.
Andy De La Osa Madera, 34, of New Haven, Connecticut, claims in the lawsuit that he was hit by a Marriott Newark Airport shuttle on Jan. 7, 2024, in the Terminal A arrivals pickup lane near pillar 14.
The shuttle was operated “recklessly and negligently,” with the driver failing to see Madera before hitting him, according to the lawsuit filed Jan. 5 in Essex County Superior Court.
Madera sustained multiple injuries that were “grievous” in nature, the lawsuit claims.
According to the complaint, Marriott and the airport knew or should have known the 53-year-old driver had a history of improper motor vehicle operation.
A check of municipal court records shows a man with the same name has been cited numerous times in New Jersey for various traffic violations, including unsafe driving.
However, court records do not show a traffic summons for the day Madera was struck.
Marriott and Newark Airport allegedly allowed the driver to operate the shuttle “without investigating the driving record and/or history” of the employee, the suit states.
A spokesperson for Newark Airport declined to comment, citing pending litigation. A Marriott spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the Marriott website, the hotel advertises the shuttle service as service to all Newark Airport terminals “for a stress-free travel experience.”