A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit against United Airlines and its contracted ground staff after she says she was dropped while being assisted out of a wheelchair during boarding.
Largo resident Erica Fulton was traveling through Houston, Texas, last September with a first-class ticket that included priority boarding and extra space. Fulton, who uses a wheelchair due to a lifelong degenerative spinal condition, was attempting to transfer from her wheelchair into her aircraft seat with assistance from two employees when one of them allegedly let go.
According to the complaint, Fulton fell inward from the aisle, struck her shoulder against the window and landed on the cabin floor, and the incident also damaged her wheelchair. The fall required surgery to repair a torn muscle.
“We hold all of our vendors to high standards and strive to provide great service to all of our customers,” a United Airlines spokesperson said. “We sincerely apologize to Ms. Fulton for her experience while traveling with us and have covered the cost of the repair to the wheelchair.”
Despite the airline’s statement that the wheelchair was repaired, Fulton has filed suit seeking compensation for extensive medical costs and other damages. She alleges more than $200,000 in medical bills accumulated over the past nine months and reports that the injury has left her unable to live independently; she now employs nurses to provide about 20 hours of care per day.
United Airlines has not addressed the dollar amount of the medical claims and generally does not comment on pending litigation.