Only in the United States do you try to sue for witnessing a tragic event that couldn’t have reasonably been prevented…
An airport worker’s incredibly tragic death
On June 23, 2023, a worker at San Antonio Airport (SAT) died after being ingested into the engine of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319. The man worked for Unifi Aviation, a ground handling company that Delta contracts to.
While many people had at first assumed that this was an accident, investigators ruled that this was actually a suicide. My gosh, that’s simply so beyond awful, and I can’t even imagine the headspace the person was in to do that.
To state the obvious, I’m sure this was also traumatizing to those who witnessed this, from the man’s colleagues, to passengers on the flight who were looking out the window. However, I think the latest update takes matters a step too far.
Woman who witnessed death sues for $1 million
This week, a 27-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas over this incident. The traveler was returning from California, where she had attended a church conference and graduation ceremony, as she had just completed a two year program for “equipping women for the ministry.”
She was on this flight in seat 11A, and claims to have seen this horrible incident unfold. The woman is now suing both Unifi Aviation and the estate of the man who died for $1 million, claiming she has “nightmares and flashbacks.”
The woman is now requesting that a jury award damages for mental anguish, physical impairment, loss of wage-earning capacity, DTPA treble damages, reasonable and necessary medical expenses, and attorney fees.
She alleges that Unifi Aviation was aware of the man’s mental state, and could have prevented this incident from occurring. The lawsuit cites “alarming” messages that the worker had left on social media regarding his mental health, though the only evidence included in the lawsuit were messages from 2018.
She is alleging “various claims against Unifi and the former employee’s estate, including claims for negligent hiring, supervision, and retention; intentional infliction of emotional distress; and alleged violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.”
Is this lawsuit absurd or reasonable?
I don’t want to downplay how unpleasant this incident must have been to witness, and how I’m sure the image of it sticks with you for a long time. This is simply awful for all involved. However, I think sometimes it’s possible for something very bad to happen, and for no one to be at fault.
The concept of suing for witnessing something like this seems so off base and greedy. It’s pretty clear that this man struggled with his mental health, and that’s really sad. However, the only documented signs of his mental health struggles were around five years ago.
Looking at Unifi Aviation job posts online, ramp agents at San Antonio Airport are paid $15.50 per hour, and it requires no job experience. Does the plaintiff think that anyone who has ever had mental health issues or any sort of run in with the laws should just not be able to work ever again? How do you suggest they survive and support themselves? To my knowledge, this is the first time that anyone has ever taken their life in this way, so the company couldn’t have predicted this was going to happen.
As a woman of God, you’d think she’d show compassion for those who struggle, rather than making it about her, and how she can profit off this tragedy. And she’s not just going after a large, for-profit company, but also after the man’s family, who has suffered enough.
At least that’s my interpretation on the Bible and what Jesus would have done, but maybe I’m wrong.
Bottom line
In June 2023, a ramp worker operating a Delta flight at San Antonio Airport was fatally ingested into an engine, and tragically this was determined to be a suicide. A passenger onboard who witnessed this is now suing both the ground handling company and the man’s estate for $1 million, arguing this should have been prevented, because there were signs this guy had mental health struggles.
What do you make of this traveler’s lawsuit?
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