Lawyer files $1M suit against Delta over ruined vacation

[TrueBeliever]

On the one hand, I completely agree with this guy sticking it to the man. On the other, I can see why the employees he dealt with were undoubtedly frustrated and felt like management didn't have their back, and they were sick of trying. Then again, maybe a kick in the a$$ like this is what the airlines need all around.

Lawyer sues Delta for ruining family vacation

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York lawyer is suing Delta Air Lines for $1 million, saying his family vacation turned into a nightmare after they were stranded in an airport for days and treated disdainfully by airline employees.

Richard Roth, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of himself and his mother, said he planned the Christmas 2007 trip to Buenos Aires to celebrate his mother's 80th birthday. She had grown up in the city, but had not returned in years, he said.

Instead, Roth, his two teenage children, his wife and mother spent three days in airports, went days without their luggage, were treated rudely by airline employees and were forced to spend $21,000 on unused hotel rooms in Argentina, replacement clothes, and other costs.

"Through its gross negligence, malfeasance and absolute incompetence, Mr. Roth holds Delta responsible for ruining his vacation," said the lawsuit, filed in New York state court.

Delta Air Lines Inc had no immediate comment.

Roth said that he has been in touch with Delta about getting reimbursed, but was repeatedly rebuffed. He told Reuters on Wednesday filing the suit was a last resort.

After the initial flight from New York was delayed by more than two hours, the family was not allowed to board their connecting flight in Atlanta, Roth said.

A Delta employee "literally walked away chuckling that he had left them stranded," he said.

After waiting in the airport for hours, Roth was told the next available flight would depart more than two weeks later.

He then booked a flight through a different airline and arrived in Argentina three days later than planned. The family was not reunited with their luggage for more than five days.

"Suffice it to say, Mr. Roth's elderly mother was a mess. And she has been suffering ever since. The kids are all upset. And it was Christmas Eve. Mr. Roth had spent one-half of his vacation in Buenos Aires chasing Delta and its incompetent representatives," the lawsuit said.

 

[PSC_Pats_Fan]

100 million?

A lawsuit with that kind of ridiculous penalty expectation should be thrown right out of court.

I can see filing a lawsuit... maybe for 100 THOUSAND.

But I mean for Pete's sake.. nobody DIED or anything.

This guy's a clown if he seriously expects to win $100 million for this situation.

 

[BradyLady12]

He's asking for way too much in proportion to the actual damage imo.
He better cool down first. He's just fumin' apparently.

 

[babalu87]

Douche

$100 million, instant ASSCLOWN

No SOKB there is no way shape or form with which you can possibly defend this, it so far beyond the pale that its in another universe

 

[cka203]

He's a lawyer :shrug:

No offense to SOKB, but this is what lawyers do.

Yeah, he won't get what he's asking for, but he'll probably end up with a good chunk of change.

 

[bideau]

The actual article says $1 Million, not $100 Million :shrug:

 

[cka203]

The actual article says $1 Million, not $100 Million :shrug:

Well, that sounds more reasonable. And he just might get it.

 

[backofthepack]

I hope he doesn't get a penny just for filing such a silly amount. But then again, if he didn't, he wouldn't have gotten his name in the papers and on the internet. What a waste of the judicial system. But hey, he isn't the first one to file such a silly lawsuit.

 

[sonsofkraftybob]

Douche

$100 million, instant ASSCLOWN

No SOKB there is no way shape or form with which you can possibly defend this, it so far beyond the pale that its in another universe

Good for him. It's probably $10,000.00 real damages and 99.99 Million in Punitive.

Airlines suck. If this guy wins, then we will all be the better for it. No more lost luggage. No more getting bumped. No more shit missing out of your luggage. No more sitting on the tarmac for 5, 8, 10 hours. No more delayed flights.

I for one applaud him.

It's for all of us.

Unlike that dickhead who sued the drycleaners for 10 mill for losing his pants.

 

[mikiemo83]

If this guy wins, then we will all be the better for it. No more lost luggage. No more getting bumped. No more shit missing out of your luggage.

but we will then be charged $15 a bag to check and need to be at the airport 3 hours early with any baggage that we intend to check


as for the getting bumped I know people who welcome it to get additional flights


and them stealing stuff, i do not get how with all this homeland security that anything could become missing from a suitcase but call me mary and toss a dress on me on wednesdays

 

[babalu87]

Luggage will still be lost/delayed
Flights will still be delayed

The only thing that will come of this should he win....... it will cost us more money to fly.

 

[Jaric]

Airlines suck. If this guy wins, then we will all be the better for it.

Uh no. They will just pass the cost of the suit onto the people who fly.

 

[patsload]

Good for him. It's probably $10,000.00 real damages and 99.99 Million in Punitive.

No more lost luggage. No more getting bumped. No more shit missing out of your luggage. No more sitting on the tarmac for 5, 8, 10 hours. No more delayed flights.

actually it'll probably be more lawsuits or signing of waivers to fly

BUT lawyers put food on my table so

 

[Moebius]

Good for him. It's probably $10,000.00 real damages and 99.99 Million in Punitive.

Airlines suck. If this guy wins, then we will all be the better for it. No more lost luggage. No more getting bumped. No more shit missing out of your luggage. No more sitting on the tarmac for 5, 8, 10 hours. No more delayed flights.

I for one applaud him.

It's for all of us.

Unlike that dickhead who sued the drycleaners for 10 mill for losing his pants.

First off, we don't know much about what happened, or what he did either. But also, I'm seriously doubting unless either a) the guy was being a complete asswhole and the employee just got tired of him or b) the employee was an idiot, that they told him no other flight was available for two weeks. If an airline cancels your flight, they're going to check other airlines and alternative travel arrangements. Yeah, it might be a little cumbersome trying to get to Bueno Aires, but not THAT hard.

I was in Mexico when American had to cancel those 800+ flights for the maintenance problem, had no trouble getting booked over on Continental.

And sorry, if this guy wins, we get NOTHING for it. Except maybe more fees because the airlines would have to protect themselves from assclowns like this. Congress already stepped in on the sitting on the tarmac deal, that's being fixed. And you can thank Homeland Security for not being able to lock your luggage (nature of the world we live in now I suppose).

Airlines suck, of this there is little doubt. But lawsuits like this aren't going to change it.

 

[Moebius]

[thread mini-hijack]

One thing I'll say. It always amuses me watching people at airports when flights get cancelled and delayed and such. So many people go ballistic, start screaming and cussing at the clerks who are trying to help them (like they had anything to do with the cancellation anyway), and making it harder for them to help the rest of the people waiting.

I can think of a handful of occasions in my business travels where we had something go south, and the guy in front of me in the line goes off on the clerk and finally gets handed a drink voucher and rebooked on a flight 8 hours later cussing all the while. I then walk up, smile, maybe crack a joke, and be very nice to the person, get booked on a different airline (sometimes in first class) on a flight leaving in less than an hour, and get offered meal vouchers if I want one.

I look at it this way, if you're the person behind the counter, who would you be more likely to put a little more effort into helping? The person cussing you out and being a complete ass, or the nice guy who knows you're just doing your job.

[/thread mini-hijack]

 

[tommysgirl]

[thread mini-hijack]

One thing I'll say. It always amuses me watching people at airports when flights get cancelled and delayed and such. So many people go ballistic, start screaming and cussing at the clerks who are trying to help them (like they had anything to do with the cancellation anyway), and making it harder for them to help the rest of the people waiting.

I can think of a handful of occasions in my business travels where we had something go south, and the guy in front of me in the line goes off on the clerk and finally gets handed a drink voucher and rebooked on a flight 8 hours later cussing all the while. I then walk up, smile, maybe crack a joke, and be very nice to the person, get booked on a different airline (sometimes in first class) on a flight leaving in less than an hour, and get offered meal vouchers if I want one.

I look at it this way, if you're the person behind the counter, who would you be more likely to put a little more effort into helping? The person cussing you out and being a complete ass, or the nice guy who knows you're just doing your job.

[/thread mini-hijack]

You get more flies with honey!

 

[3 Point Stan]

SOKB is right, folks.

The airlines have been providing a sub-par consumer experience for years and years. Think of all of your trips in recent or even distant memory. I would gather to wager that the worst part of the experience was somehow tied into the flight portion(s) of your trip.

Airlines have also been griping for YEARS that they are not making money because they are not drawing a proper yield on each seat. Well guess what - they're just now starting to set rates accordingly and that's why you're seeing flights become more and more expensive. They're going to start gauging you with $15 check-ins and high-yield tickets regardless of this kind of law suit.

This guy's not going to get $100 million - nor do I believe he expects to - but he might get something out of it and what WE'LL all get out of it is a highly-publicized negative consumer experience story that just might result in a changing of philosophy and overall policy on behalf of the airlines.

 

[O_P_T]

I expect this to get tossed quite quickly, for one simple reason.

Read the fine print on any airline ticket.

They all reference the Warsaw Convention. That limits airline liability.

That's been replaced by the Montreal Convention

The most that the airlines can be forced to pay for the death of a passenger is $149,000.

So there should be zero chance to $1M for being inconvenienced.

 

[raven]

anything could become missing from a suitcase but call me mary and toss a dress on me on wednesdays

I have nothing to add except ROFL

 

[mikiemo83]

I have nothing to add except ROFL

just checking to see if people read my post...thanks for caring