Personal Injury Law

Petition Filed Against Southwest Airlines For Passenger Poisoning

By Chrissie Cole

Twin sisters, Victoria Holsted and Valerie Vaughn, passengers aboard Southwest flight 1705 from Los Angeles, became seriously ill after a mist filled the passenger compartment of the aircraft during their January flight.

They began to experience pain, blurred vision, slurred speech and tremors shortly after to exposure to these fumes. They were hospitalized.

Their lawyer, Alisa Brodkowitz, an InjuryBoard member, who specializes in aviation law, has filed a petition asking the court to compel Southwest Airlines to tell them more about what chemicals they were exposed too.

Brodkowitz recently appeared on Seattle's King5 local news (video), to discuss the petition against Southwest on behalf of her clients.

"No one has explained to them what they were exposed to, so that's why we filed this petition. We need to know so their doctors can treat them,' said Brodkowitz.

'I was perfectly healthy when I boarded that flight and have been perfectly unhealthy since that flight,' said Vaughn.

This is not the first time airplane passengers have complained about chemicals causing health problems. Complaints have arisen around the world of dangerous fumes aboard aircrafts.

For years, pilots, flight attendants and crew members have been experiencing signs of neurological damage, such as seizures and tremors. After five years of extensive research, Dr. Clement Furlong of the University of Washington may know the cause.

He believes people are being poisoned by exposure to an engine oil additive known as tricresyl phosphate (or TCP). The chemical can leak through the air condition system located next to the engine on all commercial airliners.

Boeing insists tests show cabin air is generally safe. #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on May 18, 2009 (boomark / email).