Wrongful death claim filed against airline

New Mexico residents who travel often may be interested to learn that a family filed a lawsuit against Alaska Airlines after an elderly woman suffered a fatal fall down an airport escalator. According to the report, the 75-year-old woman was in a wheelchair when the fall took place. She died three months following the incident.

The elderly woman was reportedly traveling home from a vacation in Hawaii. When she landed in Portland, Oregon, the family hired a wheelchair assistance service to help her navigate the airport so that she could make her connecting flight. However, it appeared that Alaska Airlines staff helped her into her wheelchair. They then left, at which point she became confused when she came to an escalator.

As a result of the fall, the woman suffered multiple injuries that left her in constant pain. She ultimately had to have an amputation of her right foot below the knee after a wound there became infected. She died one day after the surgery was completed. The airline stated that there were no notes of any cognitive impairments and that the woman declined ongoing assistance once she reached the terminal.

When a loved one dies as a result of the negligence of other parties, the surviving family members may have the ability to file a wrongful death lawsuit. An attorney may help a family seek compensation following a fatal accident by collecting evidence that demonstrates that the other party’s negligence directly resulted in the death. Depending on the circumstances, the attorney could potentially recover the cost of the loved one’s final medical treatments, burial costs and other amounts.

Source: CBS News, “Family sues Alaska Airlines, contractor over elderly woman’s fatal escalator fall,” Dec. 29, 2017