Boeing 737 Rapid Descent Leads to Injury

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Case Result

A lavatory smoke alarm was set off due to a passenger using an e-cigarette in the lavatory. The flight attendants claimed that they couldn’t silence the alarm, so the Captain made an emergency decent into Kansas City. During the rapid descent, our client suffered an internal ear injury that left him with tinnitus (ringing ear) and high frequency hearing loss.

After deposing the crew and maintenance personnel, it was discovered that the flight attendants didn’t press the reset button on the smoke alarm, which would have likely silenced the alarm. We alleged that there was no need for a rapid descent and that there was no true emergency.

With the help of a radar data expert showing the rapid descent and an airline pilot expert, WKW was able to settle the case at a federal court settlement conference.