United Sued for WTC Hijacking Attack

Reuters ^ | 12-20-01

[Oldeconomybuyer]

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.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I'm not a lawyer and a family member did not die on 911, but I don't see the merit in this lawsuit.

[ladtx]

Well, here we go. The terroists couldn't run the airlines out of business, but I'll bet the lawyers will sure give it a try.

[ambrose]

The individual airlines are (were) responsible for airport security. The individual airlines are responsible for on plane security...

[ambrose]

Well, here we go. The terroists couldn't run the airlines out of business, but I'll bet the lawyers will sure give it a try.

Who filed that suit? The widow did. The lawyer is the gun. The client is the one that pulls the trigger. Lawyers don't sue people, people sue people.

[Victor]

Perfect example of lawyers and client/moochers trying to filch some unearned loot.

Defense ought to move for summary judgement/dismissal right away.

[Dimensio]

Who filed that suit? The widow did. The lawyer is the gun. The client is the one that pulls the trigger. Lawyers don't sue people, people sue people.

Don't say that too loud or the liberals will go into a tizzy trying to figure out how to enact Lawyer-control laws with stipulations such as a seven-day waiting period for legal counsel.

[ladtx]

You don't believe there are lawyers out there drumming (read "encouraging") up this business?

[Dimensio]

And yet again I hit "Post Reply" before completing my thought.

Another factor is that guns will not, following any incident, send letters to people advising them that they may have a means of aiming and pulling the trigger at a person who "wronged" them in some way.

Guns don't advise people to kill people; lawyers do advise people to sue people.

[Dialup Llama]

The merit is that the airlines failed to provide proper security (or any security) even though there had been a long string of cockpit intrusion attempts in recent years.

[GSWarrior]

The individual airlines are (were) responsible for airport security. The individual airlines are responsible for on plane security...

Our government is responsible for keeping us from being attacked on our homeland.

Instead of providing for our needs, our elected officials are running around atempting to give everyone what they want. Why not file suit against Washington D.C.?

[VOA]

I'm not a lawyer and a family member did not die on 911, but I don't see the merit in this lawsuit.

Airlines had the discretion to arm their crews with real guns; a right that I think expired
sometime in mid-November.

They also didn't secure their pilot cabins, didn't keep even reasonable security checks
on people with access to the planes (take note of the many folks rounded up at Salt Lake
City airport just recently).

You'd think after what happened to Pan Am (killed off not only by de-regulation,
but also fallout from the Lockerbie situation), airlines would have told their executives
they'd have to settle for $5 million in incentives and salary...because
the airline needed $5 million of their $10 compensation in order to make their airliners
more secure.
I don't fully blame the airlines...people wanted cheap tickets and didn't fully think
through the reality that "cheap security" went with the deal.

[Jack Wilson]

People who file 'wrongful death' lawsuits should be sued for 'wrongful lawsuit filing'.

[L.N. Smithee]

Normally I would be disgusted, but I am just saddened by this. Incredible.

[VOA]

$10 compensation

of course I meant: "$10 million compensation".

[caisson71]

Here come the sharks. This is only the beginning.

[GingisK]

...but I don't see the merit in this lawsuit...

The airlines are ultimately responsible for the safety of thier passengers. Airport security agencies are hired by the airlines. El-Al security doesn't have security problems. American carriers have security problems because they fail to secure. Remember, federal incompetancy in airport security is a recent innovation.

[Mark17]

Maybe she should sue the peaceful religion of Islam. I bet they have lots of money to lose. Why not take it from them instead?

[TexRef]

She should add the FAA to her suit because that's who is really at fault here. THEY are the ones that came up with ridiculous security rules and let the airlines off when they were caught not even abiding by those rules.

The best way to increase airline security would be for each airline to have its OWN security -- that way people could make an educated choice of what airline they want to fly based on that airline's safety track record.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I guess United hired Argenbright Security to conduct screenings so that may be the basis, but the FAA regulates both cockpit security issues and the screening process. In this case, boxcuters were legal to carry onboard and I doubt United violated any cockpit security issues.