Kyler Efinger’s parents sued Salt Lake City late last year, arguing the city didn’t take proper precautions to prevent him from accessing the airport tarmac.
Efinger, 30, died on Jan. 1, 2024, after crawling into the engine of a plane that was taxiing toward the runway at Salt Lake City International Airport. His family later said he was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Third District Judge Heather Brereton dismissed the lawsuit at a hearing July 29. Court papers show Brereton sided with Salt Lake City, whose attorneys said the “public duty doctrine” releases the city of liability.
Under the doctrine, the government has a duty to protect the safety of the public at large, rather than an individual. It protects governments from lawsuits alleging there was a failure to protect someone.
The Efingers argued among other things that airport employees didn’t properly intervene in their son’s crisis and that its security system was ill-equipped.
“Those allegations describe safety precautions the city failed to put in place,” city attorneys wrote. “They do not describe anything the city did to Kyler.”
