A woman who was paralyzed after disobeying warnings to remain in her seat during a turbulent flight over Texas has suffered the same type of catastrophic injuries as the late Christopher Reeve , according to her doctor.
“She is paralyzed from the nipples to her toes,” said Dr. Trey Fulp, the spinal surgeon who will perform a second operation today on the passenger at the McAllen Medical Center in McAllen, Tex. The woman was one of two passengers and one crew member on Continental flight 511 from Houston to McAllen who were injured in mid-flight.
“She had gotten up and gone to the bathroom,” said Fulp. “When she was in the bathroom the flight apparently hit turbulence and she was thrown to the ceiling, which is how she got the C1 C2 fracture. Then she was thrown back against the toilet, which broke her back.”
Flight attendants rushed to the passenger’s side and moved her into the aisle of the aircraft for the remainder of the approximately 50-minute flight.
The two other individuals were treated for minor injuries, according to Fulp, who said one of them had torn a ligament in her knee. The injuries were sustained during the descent of the aircraft, approximately 15 minutes before landing.
Mary Clarke, a spokeswoman for Continental Airlines, confirmed that three individuals from Flight 511, en route from George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport to the McAllen-Miller International Airport, had been taken to the local hospital after being injured in the turbulence.
Storms in the Houston area had delayed the flight several hours and had caused major delays for both inbound and outbound aircraft.
“The seat belt sign was illuminated at the time,” added Clark. The passenger, who was from McAllen, had gotten up from her seat to use the restroom after the sign to remain seated was illuminated.
Source:news.com.au
By: Jet 22 - 4th May 2009 at 14:06
Obviously the Woman did the wrong thing…but c’mon the woman has a broken back and neck…show a little sympathy for goodness sake!!!
I dont have any sympathy for this women. At the end of the day she underminded the person in charge of every one-the captain. No Sympathy at all.
By: JetSet - 3rd May 2009 at 22:02
I think I’d rather risk peeing my pants than risk being thrown about like a rag doll in turbulance and achieving such injuries as a broken back/fractured vertibrae. I recently flew back from Spain encountering turbulance like never before and I never once dreamed of getting up, plus I had a baby stapped to me as well.
Pee myself or take a risk…..hmmmmm
By: Richard Taylor - 3rd May 2009 at 19:08
Perhaps COA or Boeing could counter-sue for damage to the plane…:diablo:
By: steve rowell - 3rd May 2009 at 00:51
Absolute zero sympathy.
At the end of the day the Captain is the one in charge of everyone on board, and if he orders the people to sit for there safety, you do so. If you ignore that, then you pay the consequences.
She will now be haunted for the rest of her life because she ignored the captains decision.
I can smell $500,000 + coming her way for been a tw*t.
Obviously the Woman did the wrong thing…but c’mon the woman has a broken back and neck…show a little sympathy for goodness sake!!!
By: Jet 22 - 1st May 2009 at 17:16
Absolute zero sympathy.
At the end of the day the Captain is the one in charge of everyone on board, and if he orders the people to sit for there safety, you do so. If you ignore that, then you pay the consequences.
She will now be haunted for the rest of her life because she ignored the captains decision.
I can smell $500,000 + coming her way for been a tw*t.
By: keltic - 27th April 2009 at 20:46
www.turbulenceforecast.com I normally check this. Of course nobody can´t prevent CATs, but at least I know what to expect.
By: Paul F - 27th April 2009 at 17:12
You might think you’re joking, but that will happen, and she will win.
Boeing set aside a substantial chunk of funds to cover these sorts of lawsuites as they will almost always loose.
No, I was being serious – as you suggest, liability law stateside never ceases to amaze me. It always seems to fall in favour of the person who has sufferred, no matter how irresponsible they were being , nor how much they were abusing the defendant’s product beyond what we here in UK might consider to be the bounds of “reasonable use” – why else would a frisbee-type throwing ring I once came across be marked “Do not eat – this is not a food“:eek: Do people really need to be told such obvious things – I guess they do otherwise there would be no need to put such statements on things….
So, yes, if the passenger can’t sue the airline for her injuries, then she will almost certainly try to sue the airframe manufacturer….. :rolleyes: Presumably it would be unreasonable of anyone in their right mind to suggest she must accept responsibility for not having followed the ‘fasten seat-belt’ signs when instructed to do so.
By: Bmused55 - 27th April 2009 at 14:20
……..Or she’ll sue the aircraft manufcaturer for building/installing “hard” surfaces and a hard toilet rather than installing softly-padded fitttings ‘just in case’ this happened…:diablo: :diablo:
You might think you’re joking, but that will happen, and she will win.
Boeing set aside a substantial chunk of funds to cover these sorts of lawsuites as they will almost always loose.
By: Paul F - 27th April 2009 at 13:58
and I hope she looses
Likewise, but if she does lose due to her being out of her seat when she should’ve been strapped in then she’ll probably try and sue the airline for not making the belt buckle “passenger inoperable” when the fasten belts light is switched on…:diablo:
Or she’ll sue the aircraft manufcaturer for building/installing “hard” surfaces and a hard toilet rather than installing softly-padded fitttings ‘just in case’ this happened…:diablo: :diablo:
Sad thing is, the only people gguraanteed to “win” out of this will be the parasitic lawyers again…. as ever!
By: Bmused55 - 27th April 2009 at 12:08
I smell a major Law suit coming on!!!
and I hope she looses
By: Super Nimrod - 27th April 2009 at 07:39
In my experience (25 plus transatlantic flights with Continental) they are very thorough about this and always accompany the warning light with repeated warnings about not leaving your seats. On one flight I was on the captain basically ‘ordered’ that no one left their seats, particularly to go to the toilet. (I think he may actually have had them locked) It was very heavy turbulence though, perhaps the worst I have seen.
By: steve rowell - 27th April 2009 at 02:17
Very unfortunate…but when you’ve gotta go you’ve gotta go!!!
By: symon - 26th April 2009 at 23:26
Maybe it was a case of – she really couldn’t hold it in any longer. In which instance, it would be a very unfortunate incident.
By: UPSMD11f - 26th April 2009 at 10:10
The signs are there for a reason! If this woman ignored them then I’m sorry but I have no sympathy for her. Her injuries are self inflicted. I’m certain she would say the same if it had happened to someone else.
Of course she will sue the Airline (it’s America after all) although on what grounds I dont know.
By: steve rowell - 26th April 2009 at 00:26
I smell a major Law suit coming on!!!
By: atr42 - 25th April 2009 at 19:22
Three things to remember in turbulence.
1. Don’t rub your eyes
2. Don’t pick your nose
and if your bum itchs, well…….:diablo:
By: Whiskey Delta - 25th April 2009 at 04:42
I guess it pays to sit when the seat belt sign is on.
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April 24, 2009 at 11:10 pm