5 Strange Travel Lawsuits That Really Happened
A jury recently voted to give a cruise ship passenger $21.5 million for an injury he suffered during a vacation. (Photo: iStock/serggn)
No one likes to get duped when they travel, let alone punched, squashed, or given a rash. But it happens, and when it does, travelers complain—and sometimes sue. A cruise passenger was recently awarded $21.5 million from Holland America cruises, because one of its ship’s sliding electric doors closed on his head. The incident occurred on a cruise back in 2011, after which Jim Hausman claims he suffered from seizures, mood swings, and headaches. When a Seattle jury awarded him the huge sum this past summer, the Internet went bonkers. So much so that Hausman’s wife recently appeared on Inside Edition to defend the settlement. (Btw, Holland America told Inside Edition that it would be pursuing an appeal.)
No matter happens with that case, it reminds us that sometimes bad things happen on vacation—and not only to travelers, but to workers too. It also reminds us that there are plenty of outlandish suits that have been filed because of travel-related incidents over the past few years. Here are some of the most interesting from the past few years:
Too Much Turbulence
In November 2015, an Aer Lingus flight attendant sued her airline for excessive turbulence. Cassandra Reddin told the Irish High Court that on a particular flight into Dublin, the Airbus 320 she was working on descended way too fast and bounced three times on the runway, causing duty-free bottles to break in the overhead compartments and alcohol to leak into the cabin, and injuring her back and neck. She is suing for those injuries, but Aer Lingus denied all claims, saying that a gust of wind caused the bumps not pilot error. Reddin later withdrew her suit.
Related: Flight Attendant Sues Airline Over Extreme Turbulence
Overweight Seat Neighbor
Passenger James Andres Bassos sued Etihad for back injuries he claims he developed after sitting next to an obese person on a flight from Sydney to Dubai in 2011. Bassos argues he was forced to contort his body to accommodate the oversized seat neighbor (who was also coughing frequently), and that the discomfort exacerbated a back condition. A Brisbane district court judge recently ordered Bassos to get a medical examination this month, and we’ll see what happens next.
Related: Man Sues Airline — Says Fat Seatmate Caused Back Injury
Toxic Uniform
Not all uniforms are fashionable enough to be sold to the public, like Virgin America’s Stuart Weitzman red pumps, which are now on sale at Zappos. In fact, in 2012, Alaska Airlines flight attendants filed a class action lawsuit against clothing manufacturers Twin Hill, because their uniform was so uncomfortable that it was causing rashes and hives. Some crew members were even complaining of abnormal thyroid problems, hair loss, and shortness of breath. The culprit is alleged to be a dye called Disperse Orange 37/76, which is banned in apparel use. The Poynter Law Group is representing the 145 flight attendants and there is a trial coming up on February 1 to argue that the uniforms have toxic substances in them. As for what they’re wearing in the meantime, the airline —which is not named in the suit — provided new outfits in 2013.
Cruise Cut Short
Nature has a mind of its own…and so do disappointed cruise passengers. Cruisers on the Carnival Spirit, heading from Sydney to New Caledonia, have filed a class-action lawsuit in Australian court after their eight-day March itinerary was cut short after just three hours because of Tropical Cyclone Pam, which had developed a few days before the trip launched. The cruise line originally offered no recompense, and then $150 onboard credit, and after complaints, upped the offer to a 50 percent discount off future cruises. Unsatisfied, passengers filed the class action with the firm Arnold Thomas & Becker, arguing that they’d lost money and even had to spend some to buy winter clothes when they were diverted to chilly Melbourne. They argue that the cruise line should have known about the storm and made earlier arrangements. The action was filed in August, and a representative from the law firm tells us that the matter is in early stages of litigation and the parties are due to appear in court early next year.
Related: Flight Attendant Charged With Attacking Crew and U.S. Marshals
The Most Annoying Passenger
JetBlue flight attendant Elio Cabral sued a passenger. Cabral had been hailed as a hero for restraining a drunk flier, Antonio Ynoa, who became belligerent on a flight from the Dominican Republic to New York in 2011. With the help of two off-duty NYPD officers who were onboard, Cabral got Ynoa handcuffed, but was punched three times during the struggle. Ynoa was charged with assault in Brooklyn Federal Court and sentenced to three months in jail, and Cabral submitted a suit for unspecified monetary damages for physical and emotional injuries. Ironically, Ynoa filed his own lawsuit in 2014—this time against Google, YouTube, and a company called Dailymotion, which released a video of the incident. Even though the video was removed, Ynoa claims he was cyberbullied and asked for $200.5 million to make up for it. The case was dismissed.
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