An Arizona flyer is taking American Airlines to court docket, claiming the provider is accountable for a 17-day jail keep in New Mexico.
An American Airlines flyer says the provider blamed him for an obligation free retailer theft earlier than his flight, resulting in an prolonged keep in a New Mexico jail, and desires restitution.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reviews Michael Lowe filed a lawsuit towards the Fort Worth-based firm, claiming they had been answerable for an arrest warrant resulting in his detention for over two weeks in a New Mexico jail.
Lowe Claims American Blamed Him for Robbery, Resulting in Arrest
According to Lowe’s account, he was a flyer aboard an American flight departing Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in May 2020. On the identical day, an unknown traveler shoplifted from an airport obligation free retailer. Using in-store cameras, police allegedly decided the suspect later boarded an American flight to Reno, Nevada.
When airport police went to American to gather passenger data and surveillance video, Lowe alleges the provider “departed from its established procedures” and as an alternative solely supplied his data. He claims this resulted in two warrants being issued in his title, on which he was arrested over a yr later in New Mexico.
As a results of the alleged mix-up, Lowe says he was pressured to spend 17 days within the Quay County, New Mexico jail throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He says the time in police custody left him in a “constant state of fear of confrontation, physical abuse or sexual victimization.”
Once he was launched, Lowe says he was in a position to contact an airport police detective, however as an alternative of offering case data, he claims they solely instructed him his data was supplied by American. After retaining an lawyer, the fees towards him had been in the end dropped.
The flyer is in search of restitution from American over the best way he was handled whereas in custody, and for lasting psychological well being results from being in jail. Lowe can also be seeing reimbursement for a two-week tour of Alaska he was pressured to overlook, costing him round $30,000 in misplaced wages.
In a press release to the newspaper, an American spokesperson stated the airline was reviewing the lawsuit.
Lawsuit is Latest Bad Experience Accusation for American
The court docket case is the second accusation lobbed at American in June 2022 over a foul passenger expertise. Earlier within the month, a enterprise class flyer claims he was served a meal with bugs inside whereas flying from Germany to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Source: www.flyertalk.com