American Airlines Passenger Suffers Severe Spinal Injuries; Blames Pilot's Hard Landing

Another day, another alleged problem involving American Airlines comes to light. This time, a passenger claimed that a turbulent landing caused him to suffer serious spinal injuries while touching down at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

A "Violent Jolt"

A man named Eric Murphy has sued American Airlines over negligence from an AA855 flight that occurred from Dallas, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina on September 26, 2021. In his federal lawsuit, he claims that the pilot gave the plane a hard landing that was described as a "violent jolt" that caused his back and spine to suffer substantial injuries. The reports also note that other passengers on the flight were audibly irritated with the plane's impact upon arriving in Charlotte.

Murphy's attorneys argue that the landing could have been handled more safely, and that the turbulence lies on the pilots handling the flight. The belief is that the pilots failed to correctly gauge the aircraft's speed and rate of descent to ensure the flight had a gentle landing.

Murphy is seeking to win more than $75,000 from AA, due to the surgeries he feels he needs to repair his back and possible emotional trauma that the injuries might have caused. He claims his injuries severely affect his daily activity, making it hard for him to enjoy life and do his job properly.

American Airlines reportedly "failed to comply with this requirement by failing to operate AA855 safely and responsibly, failing to train its flight crew in the safe and non-hazardous operation of its aircraft," as read in the lawsuit.

This means the passenger is blaming AA as a whole for problems with how pilots are being trained, rather than solely the pilots of the flight or other specific personnel
 

As of Wednesday morning, American Airlines has yet to comment publicly on the lawsuit.

A History Of Rocky Flights

American Airlines is facing backlash from similar instances of alleged unsafe conditions for passengers. Last year, turbulence was also a major factor in a woman who flew out of her seat and landed on top of the seat in front of her, fracturing her collarbone and several ribs. The lawsuit cites that the pilot knowingly flew into a windy storm that led to the cancellation of various other flights.

Earlier this month, a man is holding the airline accountable for a broken leg he suffered while standing up to let another passenger head to the cabin's restroom. He claims that the airline didn't do enough to warn passengers of mid-flight turbulence.

And just last week, Ryan Seacrest's ex-girlfriend Shana Wall accused the airline of serving her a drink full of plastic shards, causing injuries to her throat and digestive system and warranting a hospital visit.

Many can argue that American Airlines may be cutting corners when it comes to passenger safety. On the other side of the coin, however, is that AA is such a popular airline for U.S. travelers that incidents like these are hard to avoid when so many flights take place under its watch. It's more likely that all of these incidents are isolated from one another, and the airline doesn't mean for these injuries to happen as often as they do.

As for Murphy, he might be able to get compensation from an out-of-court settlement. With AA making a record $53 billion in the past year, money to pay for one man's medical bills would be a mere drop in the bucket.

But what are your opinions on American Airlines? Is there a root cause for all these safety mishaps? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!