Saturday, July 17, 2021

Lawsuit: Injuries from plane’s aborted landing ruin North Carolina family’s ‘last big vacation’

A North Carolina family had planned a “once-in-a-lifetime” vacation to Las Vegas, Hawaii and Los Angeles in what they expected to be their “last big vacation” together.

But their plans went sideways when their American Airlines flight attempted to land in Las Vegas, according to a lawsuit filed July 6 in Mecklenburg County Superior Court. The four family members are now suing the airline for more than $100,000. The lawsuit alleges that the turbulent landing forced them to seek medical help and cancel much of their trip.

Roger Brunton and Dawn Rippy-Brunton of Cleveland County took off from Charlotte Douglas International Airport on June 5, 2019, for a trip with her parents, Diane and Harold Lee Rippy Jr., who live in Gaston County. They expected this to be their last major trip together because of the Rippys’ age, according to the lawsuit.

The family and their attorney, Matthew Myers of Charlotte, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

William Starr of Charlotte, an attorney for American Airlines, did not respond to the Observer’s requests for comment.

Instead of lightly landing on the Las Vegas runway, the plane ricocheted off the tarmac and careened back into the air, the family alleges in its lawsuit.

“The aircraft then suddenly and violently rolled to the left, rolled back to the right, and started to roll left again before aborting the landing and climbing back into the sky,” the family recounted in the lawsuit.

The two couples had seat belts fastened at the time, but the plane’s violent movements hurled them around the cabin, causing the injuries, according to the lawsuit.

The aircraft ultimately made a safe landing, at which point the four family members sought medical care. The family was forced to cancel many of their planned activities because of their injuries, according to the lawsuit.

None of their injuries are detailed in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of American Airlines and demands more than $25,000 for the “pain and suffering” each of the four endured. It also accuses the pilots of acting recklessly and being seduced by a “’get there at all costs’ mentality.”

18 comments:

  1. If they were properly belted in then it would be impossible to be hurled around the cabin!

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  2. Another douchebag attorney....

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  3. Roger and Karen may have a better chance suing the seat belt manufacturer directly. Any fastened seat belt that allows passengers to be hurled around the cabin during a go-around is an obviously flawed design.

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  4. Were there only four passengers aboard the plane?

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  5. I've made some hard landing but I don't think I ever ricocheted.

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  6. “’get there at all costs’ mentality.”

    The pilot should have turned the plane around and took them back home.

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  7. Scumbag family. Look them up and protest your increased airfares in their driveways. Total trashbag family. Dox them.

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  8. I think the pilot should sue them and that ambulance chasing lawyer for damage to his professional reputation. If they were thrown around the cabin, they didn't have their seatbelts buckled. American will offer a small settlement, the lawyer will take half of it and these sorry ass excuses for human excrement will have enough left to buy a roll of toilet paper.

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  9. I'm sure that plane crashing would have ruined their vacation even more.

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  10. The lawsuit should be dismissed, and these folks should be flown home.....by that Seawind 3000 pilot who had an incident/accident every damn time he tried to land the plane.

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  11. In all fairness, it is American Airlines. That company and its fleet is a shit show.
    Seriously, though. They should ask for a million billion trillion dollars..

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  12. Note to self: avoid scumbag lawyer Matthew Myers when in North Carolina.

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  13. What type aircraft? Unless it was a Pitts Special or F-16, I am a weee bit skeptical that such airliner is capable of violent rolls to hurl folks around the cabin. Is there an official medical doctor's assessment?

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  14. USAirways was acquired by American Airlines. USAirways killed Billy Mays … so there’s that.

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