An American Airlines passenger who ended up breaking his leg when he got up from his seat to let the person sitting next to him go to the bathroom is suing the Fort Worth-based carrier for failing to warn him of potential turbulence in the area they were flying.
Gael Severoni of Takoma Park, Maryland, has filed a lawsuit in a Louisana district court accusing American Airlines of negligence and of violating Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations following the midair accident on August 9, 2023.
Severoni was sitting in an aisle seat during the two-hour flight from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans when his seatmate in the middle seat asked him to move so he could use the bathroom.
The lawsuit alleges that the pilots failed to warn passengers of impending severe turbulence, and with flight attendants carrying on with their duties in the aisle, Severoni thought nothing of getting up to let his seatmate out.
But at the exact moment that Severoni stepped into the aisle, he claims that the Airbus A319 was rocked by severe turbulence which sent him tumbling to the ground.
The fall caused a serious spiral fracture of the distal tibia in Severoni’s left ankle, which left him in extreme pain and required continuing medical treatment.
The complaint does not state whether the seat belt signs were on at the time of Severoni’s injury but rather alleges that flight attendants failed to warn passengers to remain seated and bucked up in the moments leading up to his accident.
It was only after the severe turbulence had struck and Severoni was already injured and in pain on the floor of the aisle that the flight crew warned passengers to strap themselves in.
Severoni says that the pilots should have known of the impending turbulence and either rerouted the flight to avoid the rough air or properly warned passengers to strap themselves in before the turbulence struck.
Of course, while pilots have access to weather maps and reports from other aircraft in the region, not all turbulence can be predicted and it’s not always realistic to expect a warning before it suddenly strikes.
That’s why a lot of airlines encourage passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened whenever they are seated – although, of course, this safety advice would not have helped Severoni.
Following the severe turbulence incident that left dozens of passengers and crew seriously injured on a Singapore Airlines flight from London Heathrow in May, the aviation industry has promised to take turbulence more seriously and we have already seen several airlines introduce new initiatives to help protect passengers and crew.
Singapore Airlines now suspends all meal services whenever the seatbelt signs are switched on and instructs crew members to sit in their jumpseats, while Korean Air recently made headlines for its decision to stop serving Cup Noodles as a mid-flight snack due to the risk of turbulence-induced burn injury.
The question for a court in Severoni’s case will be whether the pilots could have reasonably predicted that severe turbulence was likely to rock the plane and whether they took all reasonable precautions to protect their passengers.
American Airlines is yet to respond to Severoni’s lawsuit.
Great, an excuse for them to just leave the seatbelt sign on the time and claim they can’t do a service.
Please remain in your seats with your seatbelt fastened in case we encounter unexpected rough air.
No one listens. I know you don’t believe this but, most flight attendants would rather do a service than sit all day. It hurts your but and your back. Have you seen how thin the cushions are on those jump seats? Anyway, safety is everyone’s responsibility. You have to use common sense. An aircraft is not a magical vehicle. It’s man made technology. Stuff happens when you least expect. No one can anticipate everything, that’s why safety precautions are in place. Stay seated with your seatbelt fastened even when the seatbelt sign is on.
Sometime a pilots says it going to be smooth, then all hell breaks lose . Then sometimes they say to expect level 3 to 4 turbulence and it’s smooth as silk. The reason for that is to long to explain on a post. That’s why when you hear a pilot say “Flight Attendants take your seats” , everything is stopped.Thrown away and they buckle up immediately . You can ring that bell until you are blue in the face. No one is coming unless an emergency is indicated. No one is risking injury or death to get a passenger a drink. Passengers do not give a rip. Flight attendants have to take care of themselves.
My opinion and observations.
Please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fasten in case with encounter unexpected rough air.
The Safety Demo tells you to keep your seat belt on! It was his choice to get up!
I blame all the morons that are in a rush to board the plane, skipping the bathroom and then can’t hold it for a two hour flight. I don’t know how many times I’m on a flight and 5 minutes in some id10t is up to use the can.
Remember the food called “Hot Pockets”? This lawsuit is about “deep pockets” and nothing else.
Exactly which flight was this? I don’t see any AA 319s flying between DCA BWI or IAD nonstop to MSY on 09AUG. Please cite your source of flight info and details as I’d like to see the flight wx maps for this route.
Whoa. He waited a YEAR to file this? Uhhhh… what was he waiting for?
Found the court docket online – it was for AA2891 on Aug 9 **2023** from DCA to MSY.
You can read the docket here
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69019824/1/severoni-v-american-airlines-inc/