Ten people, including five flight attendants, were hurt after turbulence rattled a United Air Lines flight headed to San Francisco from Hawaii Friday. Seven of the injured were sent to the hospital after the mishap, which occurred when the flight was about an hour from SFO. But if any of them have thoughts of suing the airline, they might consider the case of three Spirit Airlines passengers to whom a jury in Detroit awarded $5,000 for the “anguish” they suffered when the flight from Ft. Myers, Fla., to Detroit dropped 4,000 feet. The award was particularly disappointing to passenger Ronald Patterson, who told the Associated Press that he’d turned down $50,000 from the airline to settle out of court. Others are apparently suing the airline over the incident, claiming the pilot on the Jan. 30, 2000, flight wasn’t watching what he was doing. The unidentified pilot was suspended by the FAA and resigned from the airline.
Turbulence Hurts 10
Key Takeaways:
- Ten people, including five flight attendants, were injured and seven hospitalized after a United Air Lines flight to San Francisco experienced severe turbulence.
- Passengers seeking compensation for turbulence-related injuries may face challenges, as evidenced by a Spirit Airlines case where a jury awarded only $5,000 to three passengers for "anguish" after a 4,000-foot drop.
- The Spirit Airlines incident also highlighted potential pilot error, as the unidentified pilot involved was suspended by the FAA and subsequently resigned from the airline.
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