With many questions to be answered. Passengers sue Hawaiian Airlines as being responsible for the turbulence mass injury event.
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With many questions to be answered. Passengers sue Hawaiian Airlines as being responsible for the turbulence mass injury event.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Everyone knows (or should know) to keep one’s seatbelts at least on (if not on snuggly, which is better) the entire time that their plane is in the air. Reason: any sudden aircraft drop due to unstable atmospheric conditions such as down-drafts, etc., will send un-belted passengers shooting upwards inside the plane. Any sudden pounding of one’s head on a hard surface (as in a plane’s ceiling) can cause cervical spinal fractures. In layman’s terms, that is a broken neck. Thus, one’s spinal cord can suffer irreparable harm. There has got to be an element of personal responsibility. Some turbulent air events are unpredictable.
Why do I think this nonsense has been tried before.
According to the lawyers (bless their hearts), their clients needed to be treated like children. In my mind, if you’re injured on a flight because of turbulence, the fault is on you if you’re not wearing the seatbelt (regardless if the belt light is on or off). The only exceptions are the flight attendants and those who are walking to the restroom (assuming the light is off). If the pilots aren’t warned by the weather service or other, nearby aircraft, I don’t see the airline being responsible. Bottom line…don’t be a dummy. Stay in your seat and stay belted in regardless if the seatbelt light is on or off. It’s kind of like in your car. If it’s moving, you should be wearing your seatbelt.
Good point. Like you said it’s like your car. If it’s moving you should be in your seatbelt.
Yes. “Bless their hearts!”
Stupid people who don’t follow the rules are looking for a fast buck. One way to cut these money grabbing lawsuits is if the court decides against the suit, the lawyer filing it has to pay any and all costs to all parties. Once this happens a few times, I think you will see a great reduction in cases.
Hi guys! Again, thank you for your hard work and excellent reporting. Now, on to the current story. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a zillion times. I’m usually talking about ignorant people that go to Queens Bath, or hike the trail and then find themselves in life-threatening situations. This Is Not Disneyland. You can’t stop the ride when you want to get off. In this case, it’s an airplane, way up high in the air. Wear your d*mn seatbelt at all times! Turbulence happens. Is it the airlines’ fault if you’re too daft to keep the belt on? Please, people, use some common sense and take responsibility for your own actions. Okay, I’m coming down from my soap box. Can somebody help me? 😉
I’m feeling your pain! Personal responsibility is so old fashion nowadays.
I have ZERO compassion for those injured after the seatbelt sign has been illuminated. I do have compassion and feel bad for the flight attendants that were injured during this incident since they have to be up to guarantee passengers are safely buckled in. If you don’t sit down and remain seated under a seatbelt when advised, I have zero compassion for them and anything that happens to you at that point is ‘on you’. Amazingly enough, those that were buckled in didn’t find their heads embedded in the ceiling. C’mon folks, let’s get a brain. We’re supposed to smarter than this.
Where are those beautiful white Maston Liners when ya need them? My brother did a 12 day trip to HI from San Francisco on the SS Lurline around 1968, I fee range on the ship for a hour before they sailed, was really neat experience.
Money grab. Just read the ignorant questions raised by the money-grabbing attorney.
Change the flight path?
You don’t see turbulence in advance like a storm. You can’t fly around it like a storm cloud etc.
Also, the attorney said they were not told to fasten seatbelts in advance.
Another lie. A lot of passengers said they were told 30 minutes out but many did not fasten their seat belts
Just a pathetic money grab by those who did not follow directions. Seen it many times flying
As a pilot I say let it playout I want to know if there was some negligence on Hawaiians part.
You only have to look the 737 MAX accidents to understand that getting to the bottom of these incidents will make it safer for all of us to fly.
Good thing I will not be on the jury. I have not been on one flight that didn’t warn of turbulence at any time and to keep your seatbelts on. Understandable when using the restroom but return to your seat and strap back in. Common sense, otherwise you take injuries into your own hands. Just my feelings on this lawsuit. In saying this, I truly am sorry people were injured. Sadly turbulence is turbulent. Note: I hate flying.
Flight attendant here. We are “informers not enforcers” because we cant physically stop every passenger from doing what they want to do. When the seatbelt sign is turned on we make an announcement that the seatbelt sign is now on and to please remain seated with your seatbelt securely fastened. If someone gets up to go the lavatory or to get something out of the overhead bin, we are required to make a reminder announcement that the fasten seatbelt sign is still on and for everyone’s safety the captain has asked us to remain seated with our seatbelts securely fastened until he turns it off. That is what is required by the FAA because they know people will do what they want. All we are required to do is warn them. The rest is on them. Thanks!
Most every flight I’ve been on in recent years there is an announcement that you should keep your seat belt fastened even when the seat belt sign is off. There is a reason for this, and this is it.
All it takes is a land shark that is looking for a huge payout because the assumption is that if a company is sued they would rather settle than go to trial. William Shakespeare definitely had it correct when he spoke about what to first do with lawyers!
This is why we see so many advertisements on TV and huge billboards about suing trucking companies, cuz they know the required dollar insurance amounts the companies have to carry to be in operation.
Soon Hawaiian Airlines will suspend flights to and from Hawaii.
Ok so, the world is coming to an end. People need to get a…. Grip? Life? Brain?
“Seat belt enforcement wasn’t implemented.” No it was not implemented, But, I am so very tired and disgusted that We have to keep paying for everyones ignorance. People have the , well Im not putting my belt on, I paid for this flight! This mentality is ignorance and it is abound in many avenues of life. causing us all to pay for the expense that companies have to endure and along to the public, ignorant or educated. I’m sorry Hawaiian airlines, for the poor judgment of the passengers!
Yes the seat belt rules were announced thirty minutes out and the lights were on.
Multiple passengers who were not hurt even said this after landing.
1. Were the fasten seatbelt signs on?
2. Did the cabin crew announce this over the intercom?
If the answer to both of these questions is “yes” then it’s a closed case. Flight attendants are not expected nor should they be expected to “enforce” the rules among those who refuse to follow them.
So sad. People without common sense or sense of self responsibility sue others for their ignorance.
Another example of how lawyers have gotten their bad name.
If the Fasten Seat Belt sign was on then each person not bucked in is at fault.
People need to take responsibility for there actions!
That’s a big If since that’s one of the questions that the attorneys are trying to determine the answer to. So, if the seatbelt sign was on, and those passengers weren’t wearing theirs, then, absolutely there’s no liability on the airlines part. If, on the other hand, the seat belt sign wasn’t on, And the crew had any reason to believe that there was bad weather in the area, it’s a different story. Like the BOH story says, 10 minutes before it’s decent to land Is when a lot of folks take that last minute trip to the lavatory, etc. So, if the crew new about bad weather, and didn’t turn on that sign, well, then the airline bares some responsibility.
I fly to Hawaii every year as well as other trips across the mainland and across the Atlantic. My Rule to avoid injuries caused by turbulence is simple.. I Keep My Seatbelt on at all times.
Aloha
I agree. Anyone who has flown across the western Pacific, like to Japan or Korea, is well aware of what kind of trouble turbulence can cause. Keep the seat belt fastened and leave your seat only when necessary, like to use the restroom.
It sounds like it would be difficult to prove all the elements were followed in the event of bad weather/turbulence. Maybe he said/she said. Unless specific records are recorded. Even those may not be accurate. The flight attendants have a lot of people to deal with. It’s hard to make sure everyone has on their seatbelt. It was also said that turbulence can come out of a clear sky. It might be a case of when you fly you assume certain risks. A thing is not common but it may happen. I’ve never had any serious problems but now I understand how important seatbelts are. A pilot on a flight I was on decided not to have drink service. He noticed some potential bad weather. The place for the cart was to be put away and everyone belted in seats.
This is what happens when you have irresponsible humans acting like children who should not be reminded minute after minute about keeping your seat belt on while on flight! Spoiled, opportunistic to make money, cheap Americans!!!! Employees at Hawaiian are not maids, nor policemen to be checking on every single one, every single minute of a flight if they have their seat belt on!
This also happens when we bring trashy, cheap tourism into the islands! I wish we can have Hawaii be a destination for better tourism instead of the cheap, low class tourism that we have had in the last few years, right before Covid19 and way after Covid19! We, the People of Hawaii deserve better so those Marketing Hawai’i, change your strategies!!!!!
Amen brother
Getting worse every year here
Like we wouldn’t want to be accountable or responsible enough to wear our seatbelts at all times – now would we?
We need to make it someone else’s fault!
well said!
Aloha Rob+Jeff. I know that it is a standing rule that seat belts are required at all times when flying. Only if you need the restroom should you be unbuckled. There needs to be heavier enforcement from now on. No excuse to be wandering around the plane. However I am sure that Hawaiian can pay off the lawsuits with their profits. Maybe that loss will lead them to mandatory enforcement from now on. Thanks for your excellent coverage on all topics. Warm regards.
Hi Debra.
Thanks, and our best to you.
Aloha.
Given everything that flight attendants are busy doing,I have no idea
how they would enforce that.
Yep, sue God for the air turbulence, these ambulance chasers will sue anybody to get their 40% plus court costs. And don’t mention the only time you’re without the seatbelt in place during a flight is a potty break or emergency. Geez!!!!!! Case should get tossed a frivolous lawsuit.