Passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight who lost their door plugs mid-flight were offered a paltry $1,500 for the horrific ordeal – but a lawyer believes they are in prime position to bring a lawsuit against the airline for a bigger payout.
A compensation package, which also includes ticket refunds, was offered in an email to passengers on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 after Friday night’s failure, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Daniel Laurence, a partner at the Seattle-based Stritmatter Firm who is representing Alaska Airlines passengers in a separate case, told The Post that those aboard flight 1282 could seek legal action for “emotional disturbance.”
“As a moral matter, $1,500 per passenger, for what could be a near-death experience and might even be described… as a near-death experience, is not enough,” Laurence said.
“They’re obviously going to have a claim for emotional distress put on them,” Laurence said, adding he wouldn’t be surprised if legal action started rolling in as early as tomorrow.
“I actually heard from one of the passengers this morning who was interested in talking to me about the incident,” he added.
Passengers on flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon, were left staring into the abyss of the starry night sky and beyond Friday after a door plug broke from the port side of the fuselage about 16,000 feet into the flight’s initial climb.
In the chaos that ensued, passengers’ belongings were sucked through openings, oxygen masks were released from the ceiling, and a boy’s shirt was ripped from his body and thrown into the night as flight attendants begged everyone to keep their seat belts on.
A door plug ripped from the side of the Boeing plane shortly after takeoff at about 16,000 feet on Friday. AP
The flight returned to Portland for an emergency landing and all 171 passengers were disembarked with no serious injuries reported, but many are haunted by the fear they felt during the ordeal.
“We really thought we were going to die,” passenger Sreysoar Un, who was sitting a row behind the ragged pit, told the Wall Street Journal.
Another passenger, Emma Vu, posted a screenshot of a TikTok video sharing a text sent to her parents during the flight, asking them to “Please pray for me. I don’t want to die.”
In return for their trouble, passengers reported that the airline offered them $1,500, a refund of their ticket, and help book a new trip.
It is not clear if the money is intended for new flights or if it is given in addition to free new tickets.
Emma Vu texted her parents asking them to pray for her, saying she didn’t want to die.
“We work directly with guests to ensure they are taken care of and placed on alternate flights,” Alaska Airlines told The Post.
Vu stated in his video that Alaska offered him a new flight with a free upgrade for more legroom and a free in-flight snack. He was not impressed.
“Alaska, would like some money, maybe money for therapy. I don’t know, I feel like a reimbursed flight with more legroom and free water and snacks is not enough,” he said.
Passengers like Vu may get their wish, Laurence said, but not until a thorough investigation is conducted to determine the cause of the incident and which party is at fault – whether Alaska Airline, jet manufacturer Boeing, or the company that provides components for the 737 Max 9 jet, Spirit AeroSystems.
An investigation needs to determine who is responsible for the incident before damages can be awarded. NTSB/AFP via Getty Images A door plug was found in a Portland teacher’s backyard. It will be important in the investigation of the incident. AP
Each passenger’s individual experience — including details like their proximity to the hole — is also likely to influence the type of damages a jury will award them in an emotional distress suit, Laurence said, but he noted that simply being on the plane is more than enough to file a claim. court.
“If you’re on the ground and you’re safe at that point, it crosses your mind that you might as well have died there. And frankly, if it had happened at 30,000 feet, the plane might have disintegrated,” Laurence said.
“So it is a very serious situation. And whoever was on that plane at the time, I think, was absolutely right to be scared.”
Laurence is currently leading another lawsuit against Alaska Airlines on behalf of passengers who boarded the Oct. 22 flight in which an off-duty pilot in the cockpit jump seat allegedly tried to shut down the plane’s engine while enjoying magic mushrooms. The litigation is ongoing.
Many Boeing 737 Max 9s have been grounded across the country as airlines carry out inspections to ensure other flights do not experience similar problems.
United Airlines announced on Monday that it had discovered an incident of a loose bolt on a door plug on another plane.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
