“Instead of planning a safe route that would have taken the aircraft safely around the dangerous line of thunderstorms, Southwest’s dispatchers and pilots instead choses to fly through the thunderstorm line,” the lawsuit says.
Two Louisiana women have filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, claiming that they sustained serious injuries after a pilot flew directly into a thunderstorm to minimize fuel consumption and avoid departure delays.
According to WBRZ, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Deborah “Debi” Grymes and Amy Berret, both of whom were aboard a Southwest Airlines flight that was scheduled to depart Louisiana and land in Florida on April 3, 2024.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft flew into a thunderstorm, penetrating a so-called “red cell” thunderstorm producing heavy rain and wind above the Gulf of Mexico.
“Instead of planning a safe route that would have taken the aircraft safely around the dangerous line of thunderstorms, Southwest’s dispatchers and pilots instead choses to fly through the thunderstorm line, which the passengers allege ‘may have been influenced by defendant’s management emphasis on timely departure and minimizing fuel consumption,’” the lawsuit alleges.
Grymes, the lawsuit says, was permitted to the use restroom at a time of heavy turbulence. She was subsequently “violently thrown about the cabin,” receiving injuries including a spinal fracture, broken ribs, and a traumatic brain injury. She has already undergone extensive medical treatment but remains partially disabled.
“As a result of being violently thrown about the cabin, Debi Grymes suffered catastrophic and life-changing injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures to her cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, spinal cord injuries, and broken ribs,” the lawsuit says. “To date, she has already undergone numerous spine surgeries and remains partially disabled and under the care of medical professionals, nearly a year later.”
“Debi’s travel companion, Amy Berret, also suffered injuries in the turbulence encounter, including a neck injury and a closed-head injury,” the lawsuit says.
Melanie VanOverloop, one of the attorneys representing Grymes, said that there is no reason that Southwest could not have diverted the flight or changed its course to avoid the thunderstorm and subsequent turbulence.
“We have reason to believe that Southwest’s emphasis on timely departures and fuel costs may have played a role in Southwest’s decision to try and take a shortcut through a thunderstorm line, adding [sic] other Southwest flights also penetrated the same squall line that morning,” VanOverloop said. “Such decisions are completely inexcusable in a situation where the National Weather Service had warned the airline of the dangerous thunderstorm line. There was nothing stopping Flight 4273 from simply flying around the thunderstorms.”
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys from Rapoport Weisberg Sims and VanOverloop Trial Attorneys.
Sources
Baton Rouge residents file lawsuit against Southwest Airlines for causing ‘life-threatening turbulence’
Southwest Airlines sued by two Louisiana women injured on turbulent flight
