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In early January, Alaska Airlines flight AS1282 from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Ontario International Airport (ONT) was forced to return shortly after takeoff when its rear mid-cabin exit door separated. The dramatic scene saw a large section of the airplane’s fuselage missing while passengers’ phones and even a teenager’s shirt got sucked out of the opening. This caused the grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 9 while the FAA ordered all aircraft be inspected. Now, three passengers from the flight are suing Alaska Airlines and Boeing for $1 billion.
CBS News is reporting that Kyle Rinker, Amanda Strickland, and Kevin Kwok hired Jonathan W. Johnson, LLC (an aviation law firm) to file a complaint in Multnomah County, OR. The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages from Boeing (the manufacturer of the aircraft) and Alaska Airlines who was operating it during the incident.
The law firm issued a statement saying:
As a direct result of the frightful, death-threatening failure of the Boeing aircraft, Mr. Kwok, Mr. Rinker, and Ms. Strickland suffered severe mental, emotional, and psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress, and physical injuries. [The lawsuit hopes] to hold Boeing accountable for its negligence which had caused extreme panic, fear, and post-traumatic stress. [Flight 1282 is] just one terrible chapter in the evolving story of Boeing and Alaska Airlines placing profits above safety.”
Boeing is also facing a class-action lawsuit from passengers onboard Alaska Airlines flight AS1282. It alleges that the incident “physically injured some passengers and emotionally traumatized most if not all on board.” Alaska Airlines is not named in that filing.
Anthony’s Take: I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been to the passengers and crew onboard this flight. We’ll have to see how these lawsuits play out in court.
(Image Credit: KPTV.)
(Featured Image Credit: KTVL.)
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11 comments
Woke gone wild. Get over yourselves people
Grifters – if truly harmed file a suit for a reasonable sum – hardly in the millions per passenger – not some frivolous attention grabber to clog up our courts and lawyers at the companies and diverting resources from preventing this. Now their names are out there and this is not a good look for them.
Sounds like clown talk. These passengers could have been sucked out of the cabin and plummeted to their deaths. The life long PTSD that will more than likely be intense and cause the plaintiffs to likely never want to fly again.
They and their ambulance chasing lawyers have lost their minds. Alaska grounded their planes before they had to. Far from profits over safety. Sure jump on the Boeing lawsuit if ya want but in the end the only ones that will win are the grifting lawyers.
As insane as Alaska’s lowball compensation offers were to passengers this is equally ludicrous. I very much do think that Boeing – and Alaska to a lesser degree – should pay some seven figure compensation to the people right by the doorway and six figures all around to people aboard, a BILLION dollars shows only stupidity and greed.
Ordinarily I’d say it was an insane amount in damages but if judge can be found to fine somebody 365 million dollars for taking out loans and paying them back in full without default, thereby causing harm to nobody, then I’m sure one can be found to award that sort of sum.
Your comparison is apples to asphalt. I doubt that Alaska will be convicted of fraud here but who knows.
Does anyone know how close they were sitting to the plug?
You can sue for whatever, but what will get paid out is a fraction of that amount. I figure that amount is just a starting number to negotiate down.
“Severe mental, emotional, and psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress, and physical injuries. “ Does this mean they can never work again? Will they fly again. I understand it is traumatic but lawyers are such bullshit artists.
Both Kyle and Amanda are looking to retire. Let them have cash but if they ever fly again shot them.