Paraplegic Sues DFW Airport, American Airlines Over Boarding Incident
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A paraplegic man is suing DFW Airport and American Airlines after suffering what he describes as "near fatal injuries" due to "negligence, fraud and deceptive trade practices."
Attorney Justin A. Moore says in 2017, Stetron English was in route to Miami from Dallas when, while checking in and boarding his flight, was placed in a wheelchair "not suitable for a person with his disabilities."
Moore claims his client was dragged into the plane and then dropped.
"How do you transport somebody to the back of the plane without dragging their feet, dragging their body on the ground? Right? There has to be a better way as opposed to dragging them like they're luggage," Moore said to CBS 11.
Moore explained in more detail in a news release saying, "The drop was so severe that upon impact, his ostomy bag that collected Stetron's waste ruptured and he was covered in urine and blood. To make matters worse, when Stetron was dropped, the employees left him on the floor and rushed off the plane in order for the flight to depart on time. Stetron's friend who was traveling with him had to pick Stetron up and safely secure him in his seat. Stetron was forced to endure a humiliating flight to Miami in which he was covered in blood and urine."
"The way they treated us was terrible," said Quinteis Else, who was traveling with English. "Seemed like they were only worried about the flight leaving in time instead of making sure we were ok. I feel bad for Stet[tron]. He hasn't been himself that trip."
American Airlines sent CBS 11 the following statement on the matter:
"We take the safety and comfort of our customers very seriously and we're committed to providing a positive experience to everyone who travels with us. We are in contact with our vendor that provides wheelchair assistance at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to review the details of the flight."