Some Fayetteville residents might remember the death of a North Carolina teen who fell from a plane’s wheel well in Boston two years ago. The boy was only 16 and had never been on a plane before. However, the teen was somehow able to get onto the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport tarmac without security or airport workers noticing. The teen then climbed into the wheel well of a plane and fell to his death as the plane approached Boston.
The accident was devastating, especially since many believe the incident could have been prevented by the airport. The victim’s family also believes the teen’s wrongful death should have never happened. Although the teen did choose to climb into the wheel well of a plane, airport security should have prevented the teen from being able to sneak onto the tarmac.
Last month, the victim’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in response to their son’s fatal accident. The family claims that the city of Charlotte, the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and US Airways were all partly responsible for allowing the fatal accident to occur. The lawsuit states that all three parties should have had adequate security measures in place to prevent anyone from sneaking onto a plane at the airport.
The family is requesting compensation for their loss. However, they are also hoping to discover how their son was able to sneak onto the plane two years ago. Since the teen’s death, the airport has implemented new security measures in order to prevent similar accidents from happening.
Wrongful death claims, like the one discussed in today’s blog post, often involve a variety of complex issues. First, families must make sure one’s death has been thoroughly investigated. This is important for obtaining the evidence families need to support their wrongful death claims against all parties who may have contributed to a fatal accident.
When more than one party is accused of causing a fatal accident or failing to take precautions to prevent an accident from happening, families must then determine to what extent each party should be held liable for one’s death. Losing a loved one is difficult, but families can work with an attorney to help them resolve their legal issues and seek justice after a loved one’s fatal accident.
Source: Charlotte Observer, “Family of teen stowaway who fell from plane’s wheel well suing airport, city, US Airways,” Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Nov. 15, 2012
- Our firm handles a wide variety of wrongful death claims and other personal injury cases, including premises liability claims. To learn more about our firm and practice, please visit our Fayetteville negligent security attorney page.