The flight attendants on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, where the door plug blew out in January 2024, are now suing Boeing, claiming they “sustained injuries of a personal, permanent, and pecuniary nature,” according to the complaints.
Four attendants working the flight — Adam Fisher, Michelle Hughes, Steven Maller, and Christine Vasconcellos — claimed in four separate suits that, “As a direct and proximate result of the ejection of the door plug and the resulting decompression, Plaintiff sustained physical and mental injuries, severe emotional distress, and other damages of a personal and pecuniary nature.”
“This act of negligence caused both physical and mental damages, which profoundly impaired my personal and professional life. It also resulted in many challenges to return to my dream job that I had proudly made my career,” Hughes said in a statement.
MORE: NTSB blames Boeing, FAA for cause of Alaska Airlines door plug blowout
Vasconcellos said in another statement, “This event is something that never should have happened. I’m committed to seeking justice, accountability and making the sky a safe place.”
Tracy Brammeier, who represents the flight attendants, said in a statement to ABC: “When the door plug blew off the aircraft on flight 1282, each of the four flight attendants acted courageously, following their training and putting their passengers’ safety first while fearing for their lives. They deserve to be wholly compensated for this life-altering, traumatic experience caused by Boeing’s negligence in the 737 MAX production process.”
The lawsuits were filed in King County Superior Court in Seattle, Washington.
Boeing declined to comment on the suit.
The company has repeatedly said that it’s supported the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the incident “in the transparent and proactive fashion we have supported all regulatory inquiries into this accident.”
MORE: 4 bolts missing from Alaska Airlines door plug before blow-out: NTSB report
The mid-exit door plug separated from the Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger plane on Jan. 5, 2024, minutes after Flight 1282 took off from Portland International Airport. Passengers captured footage showing a hole where the door plug came loose.
The plane safely made an emergency landing and no one was seriously injured in the incident.
