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One man’s pinky became “entrapped” in the armrest of his first-class seat on an American Airlines flight operated by SkyWest, so he’s suing both companies for negligence.
Stephen Keys has filed his lawsuit with the Los Angeles Superior Court, citing weeks of unspeakable pain and emotional distress from the December 5 incident. It happened on a flight from Reno to LA, and Keys apparently spent the entire duration of it with his finger stuck in the hole.
It sounds funny, but it was anything but for the poor man, according to the filed documents.
Shortly after Keys got to his seat, he lifted the armrest so he could fasten the seatbelt. “The spring mechanism embedded inside of this hole in the armrest applied intense pressure to plaintiff's finger, immediately inflicting injury, swelling and pain,” the suit states, according to NBC Bay Area.
For some time, Keys tried to dislodge the finger on his own, without letting anyone know of his embarrassment, the papers state. “By this time, dozens of passengers became aware of Mr. Keys' perilous condition, causing his dire situation to become a humiliating public spectacle. By the end of it all, he remained entrapped in this nightmarish condition, suffering for nearly an hour,” the papers state.
Keys’ finger was freed after considerable (but failed) efforts on part of flight personnel and members of a fire rescue team, and the successful intervention of an airline mechanic, who eventually dismembered the armrest. Because of the injury, Keys was no longer able to drive or play with his children, and has suffered physical and emotional pain, he says.
He’s seeking compensation and punitive damages, but the lawsuit doesn’t mention an amount. When contacted for comment, SkyWest confirmed the incident but said they could not discuss it in detail given the ongoing litigation.
It sounds funny, but it was anything but for the poor man, according to the filed documents.
Shortly after Keys got to his seat, he lifted the armrest so he could fasten the seatbelt. “The spring mechanism embedded inside of this hole in the armrest applied intense pressure to plaintiff's finger, immediately inflicting injury, swelling and pain,” the suit states, according to NBC Bay Area.
For some time, Keys tried to dislodge the finger on his own, without letting anyone know of his embarrassment, the papers state. “By this time, dozens of passengers became aware of Mr. Keys' perilous condition, causing his dire situation to become a humiliating public spectacle. By the end of it all, he remained entrapped in this nightmarish condition, suffering for nearly an hour,” the papers state.
Keys’ finger was freed after considerable (but failed) efforts on part of flight personnel and members of a fire rescue team, and the successful intervention of an airline mechanic, who eventually dismembered the armrest. Because of the injury, Keys was no longer able to drive or play with his children, and has suffered physical and emotional pain, he says.
He’s seeking compensation and punitive damages, but the lawsuit doesn’t mention an amount. When contacted for comment, SkyWest confirmed the incident but said they could not discuss it in detail given the ongoing litigation.
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