United Flyer Trips on Jetway, Waits Two Years to File Lawsuit Over “Serious Injuries”
Jeff Edwards April 16, 2015
A passenger, claiming to have tripped and injured herself while deplaning a flight nearly two years ago, filed a lawsuit against United in federal court this week.
Ayatan Abdallah is blaming United Airlines for a bad trip that occurred moments after her flight arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on April 26, 2013. The Southeast Texas Record reports that Abdallah filed a lawsuit against the airline in U.S. District Court for Southern Texas, Houston Division on Monday, nearly two years after the incident. She is now seeking damages for injuries she claims were the result of an “uneven area within the jetway” and the legacy carrier’s own negligence.
Abdallah alleges that the condition of the jetway caused her “to trip and fall forward” after exiting the plane. In court papers, she attests that United employees admitted to her that they were aware an “uneven” area of the jetway presented a possible tripping hazard.
As a result of the fall, according to the lawsuit, Abdallah suffered “serious injuries to her ankle, ribs, low back, neck, shoulders, and other parts of her body for which she sought, and continues to receive, medical treatment.”
Abdallah is suing United on the grounds that its employees were negligent in ignoring the potentially dangerous condition of the jetway. She is seeking damages for pain, disability, medical expenses, disfigurement and impairment.
The lawsuit filing comes just days shy of two years since the initial accident. Filing any later could have made Abdallah’s lawsuit potentially vulnerable to claims that the statute of limitation had expired.
[Photo: iStock]
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Teh referenced story does state “Immediately after her fall, Plaintiff was attended to by several passengers and a United employee. Upon information and belief, some of the other disembarking employees within the jet way informed … employees of the ‘uneven’ area … tripping hazard.”
Waiting this long obviously brings up some questions, the most obvious of which is why they waited so long (and let the danger continue) to file a suit, and, more importantly, how they can demonstrate that the injury didn't occur afterwards. Maybe their cousin finally graduated from law school.
Uh oh, RELANGFORD, looks like you're getting sued next! :)
Is UA or IAH responsible for condition of the jetway? Would any witnesses even remember the event? Don't know the details, of course, but it smells fishy.