UAL sued over 911
 

United Sued for Hijacking Attack on Twin Towers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The widow of a New Hampshire man who was a passenger on the United Air Lines flight that slammed into the World Trade Center filed on Thursday what is believed to be the first suit against an airline stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks.

The wrongful death suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges that United breached its duty to care for the safety of the passengers on Flight 175. The suit filed by Ellen Mariani, whose husband, Louis, was killed in the attack, seeks unspecified damages.

The Nolan Law Group, the Chicago firm that filed the suit, said it believed this was the first action against an airline seeking to hold it liable for the hijacking.

Louis Mariani, a 59-year-old retired sales coordinator at H.P. Hood, died when the plane hit Tower Number Two of the World Trade Center. The suit alleged that he suffered severe fright and terror before dying in the crash.

A spokesman for United said the airline does not comment on pending litigation.

Good to see things are back to normal again in America...

I suppose it was only a matter of time before this happened. Since UAL is hemmeraging cash at the rate of $10million/day this could have the potential to snowball into the demise of UAL and AA if enough relatives should join the fray.
Pain and Suffering suffered by the pax due to the airline? Perhaps OBL, Al-Qaeda et al should be named as co-defendants in the suits. Imagine...UAL, AA, OBL, and Al-Qaeda all named as the co-defendants in a class action lawsuit. Only in America.
Risque? Perhaps but just because I lighten the subject matter does not mean it is taken lightly.

This can only be possible in America. Where else could you sue a company or person for something it/he can not help, and probably win! Don't get me wrong, of course this lady suffered a great loss, but what happens if this leads to the demise of UAL or AA? What about the families of all the employes? Isn't it enough that so many families suffered on 9/11? Does this really have to lead to the loss of several thousand more jobs?

After being left devastated by a foreign terrorist attack UAL will now be sent to the wall by their own countrymen. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

President Clinton once remarked that there was nothing wrong with America that couldn't fixed by what is right with America.

It is somehow so very sad that, as this dreadful year in the history of aviation draws to a close, the Nolan Law Group chooses not to share in the President's wonderful vision and spirit.

This lawsuit is a legal tactic in this country which attempts to force an early settlement by UAL, outside and beyond the limitations already in place.

As you say, only in America..........

This lawsuit will bring out the fact that the airlines should have known this type of event could happen.For the last four or five years we have been told at recurrent these people are real and guess what they finally showed up.I don`t think anybody that attended the same security modules as I was at all surprised.

[ 20 December 2001: Message edited by: filejw ]</p>

im flying with UAL on Sunday...i've heard some weird "Yer £3 cover charge wont save ya son!"

What do you think my chances of getting home are?

Steve

Perhaps this legal action should also have involved the airport, where security measures weren't tight enough? Or the Air Traffic Controllers for not acting quickly enuf, or the USAF for the same thing. Oh, what the hell, why not also name the FAA and Bill Clinton as co-defendents and make a proper job of it! <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

Sharks don't eat lawyer. Do you know why? Professional courtesy.

Something similar happened with PanAm and Lockerbie.

The logic beats me. If you are a guest in my house, and a criminal breaks in and attacks you, it is somehow my fault for not having fortified the house!

God Bless (and God Help) America!

There's nothing more distasteful than the display of overt personal greed, especially when seen under the guise of moral high ground. The system allows it and is perpetuated because of the money that can be made. <img src="cool.gif" border="0">

just to clarify slightly, the airlines are responsible for ground security of the people boarding their aircraft.

So, although the work at the scanners and so forth was naturally contracted out, the responsibility for making sure that the people on the plane are there legitimately rests with United. Whether they needed to beef their intelligence up, and have better scanners, or use improved risk computer systems is all conjecture, but the buck does stop at United.

Doesn't make it right though..

But what then happens when you beef up security? You get sued for infringment of civil liberties. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Let's be brutally honest here, the woman stands to gain (potentially) 10's of millions of $$$$.

I have serious doubts that half the indignant posters here would not be seriously tempted if they found themselves in similar circumstances.

Who really cares about 50000 unemployed if you have $50000000 in the bank.

A bit inflammatory but still .....

Regards.

lamer,

You hit the nail on the head. Nothing tends to blind people's judgement more than money.

lamer - I think you'll find most people's reaction when faced with personal tragedy is NOT to immediately call their lawyers and start counting the money.

zulu - you're right, but sadly it is most peoples next reaction these days. Encouraged by a society where litigation brings vast rewards to both "victims" and lawyers alike.
It makes you despair if you think about it too long. <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

What I have not seen on this thread is the announcement yesterday of a fund administered by the Justice Department (don't laugh, OBL's boys are under every bed....really) to pay off all the victims of 9/11. The formula is to take the probable lifetime earnings if person had not been murdered add a certain number of dollars for pain and suffering subtract what the family gets in insurance settlement and retirement plan funds and the number that comes out to be paid by the US Gov. $50,000 now the rest when the calculations are made. The rub is by taking the money you must agree not to sue anybody.

To sue is to take a chance on getting boatloads of lovely money somewhere down the road and giving lots of it to the lawyers or maybe not getting much of anything. You pays your money and takes your chances.

[ 21 December 2001: Message edited by: RATBOY ]</p>