Seattle-based Airline To Pay $3.19M Over A Passenger's Death

Seattle-based Airline To Pay $3.19M Over A Passenger's Death

Introduction

A fatal 2017 accident at Portland International Airport (PDX) has resulted in a $3 million settlement to the family of a passenger who succumbed to her injuries three months after the accident. According to the court memorandum, the 75-year-old woman was traveling home from Hawaii to Spokane, Washington when the incident happened. She was an amputee and hence her family had arranged for gate-to-gate transportation to make the connection. The woman was forced to finish the gate-to-gate journey herself as her escorts left her alone before completing the transfer due to miscommunication between Alaska Airlines and its contractor. The woman fell 21 steps down from the airport’s escalator while completing the journey alone. The fall resulted in traumatic head and chest injuries, which followed a septic infection due to an Achilles tendon injury. Several surgical procedures were conducted along with the amputation of her remaining leg but the woman died due to her severe injuries. The jury at King County Superior Court in Seattle held Alaska Airlines 90% responsible for the woman's fatal injuries and ordered the carrier to pay the family a settlement of $3.19 million.