Many people have the misconception that pain and suffering is a result of physical trauma due to a serious personal injury, but ask anyone with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and they will tell you that psychological trauma can be just as bad, if not worse. Sleepless nights, depression, lack of energy, weight loss or gain, and reclusiveness are just a few symptoms. One woman who experienced an airline accident is experiencing similar issues and filed a lawsuit against American Airline because of it.
The whole incident started on Sept. 22, 2008 when American Airlines Flight 268 (a Boeing 757) was flying nonstop from Seattle to New York and was forced to make an emergency landing at O’Hare Airport in Chicago where it skidded onto the grass next to the runway.
There were no physical injuries reported among the 190 passengers or seven crew members, and the aircraft had little damage beyond its landing gear and several blown tires.
So, you might be thinking that there’s not much to it. The plane was slightly damaged, but no people, so everyone should just switch planes and move on with their lives right? Well, its what happened prior to the plane landing that left Jewel Thomas, of Bellevue, with lasting psychological trauma.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, passenger Thomas said she has suffered severe mental and emotional problems because of the incident and that it has forced her onto unpaid disability from her job at Microsoft.
Though an experienced world traveler, she said she is no longer able to fly and will sometimes “freak out” when she hears an airplane. She said that the psychological trauma is such that she missed her uncle’s funeral because she couldn’t fly to Arizona, and when a friend was dying, the friend wanted Thomas by her side, but she couldn’t fly, which hurt her down to the core.
So what happened up in the sky in 2008 that affected her so deeply?
In her lawsuit Thomas contended that shortly after takeoff, the flight crew received multiple warnings about problems with the plane’s electrical system. They promptly referred to the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) and followed the recommended procedure, switching four of the plane’s main electrical power buses to battery power. The QRH said the battery would provide power to the airplane for 30 minutes, although the power from the engines kept the battery operating longer.
Eventually, the lights in the airplane went off, the public address system did not work and the phone to the cockpit was out of order. Flight attendants had to pass notes under the cockpit door to communicate with the flight crew, according to the suit.
About 11 a.m., the plane was out of battery power, said the suit, and 20 minutes later the captain asked to divert to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Critical systems began to fail, the cabin public address system went silent and eventually all power to the passenger cabin went out, including the lights.
Sitting in the unlit cabin waiting to see if the plane would even make it to Chicago, people began to weep openly, pray, and brace for landing. Thomas joined many others in flipping on her cell phone, which she used to call her children to give her tearful last goodbye.
Running dark, the plane’s wheels fell hard on the runway and the craft spun into the grassy strip along side it.
Thomas’ lawsuit alleges that the flight crew should have diverted sooner to another airport before the battery ran out and key systems were crippled. It accused American Airlines and the plane’s two pilots of negligence and seeks unspecified damages.
The lawsuit claimed the captain was aware the main battery charger wasn’t functioning and of the battery’s 30-minute reserve, but the crew elected to continue the flight to New York.
Thomas’ lawyer said that a transcript of cockpit conversations “showed a real ignorance of flight systems,” and that they should have turned around and headed back to Seatac the moment they found out.
Her lawyer said that Thomas’ mental trauma was specifically due to human error.
“That day changed my whole life – it changed my whole world,” Thomas said, adding: “This is one problem I can’t solve.”
Andrea Huguely, a spokeswoman for the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline, said that the company had not seen the complaint and had no comment.
The lawsuit did not specify an amount, but since Thomas has been living for two years without income and unable to work, we may surmise that the number may start at those lost earnings and seek future lost earnings, plus compensation for pain and suffering.
If you or someone you know has been seriously traumatized in an aviation accident then you need skilled representation to assure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Call the law firm of Phillips Webster for your free consultation
Learn More About:
Hit and run is one of the worst crimes because many times the victim is left in the road with no one to call for help, sometimes for hours. Luckily for a young student in Kennewick today after school there were witnesses there to help her.
