SEATTLE—
An American Airlines flight attendant has filed a lawsuit against The Boeing Company, claiming a design defect in an aircraft made her sick.Terry Williams says that she's been sick and suffering, and is unable to return to work since taking a flight in April of 2007. Williams says she could see a cloud of fumes in the first-class compartment on the Boeing MD-82 aircraft. Since then she says she has suffered severe headaches, tremors and nausea among other symptoms.
"I suffer daily with chronic pain, migraines, vision problems.." says Williams. "Immediately following the event, then had sore throat, cough, headache, continued to get worse and worse and now I'm disabled."
The lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court claims that Boeing should be filtering and monitoring the system that supplies air to the passengers and crew. It claims oil which often leaks from the jet's engines is sucked into the air intake system, which draws air into the engine turbine and then feeds it into the cabin where it's breathed in by those onboard the aircraft.
Her lawyer Mike Withey says Boeing needs to take responsibility.
"When airline manufacturer makes an air intake that can release a nerve gas...They should be held, and must be held responsible. It's time Boeing stepped up, does the right thing, ensures passenger safety and put filters and sensors in their air craft that's what their lawsuit is all about. "
Williams says Boeing is aware of thousands of fume events through the years...but has taken no steps to filter it's air delivery system.
"This has effected my entire life, as well as my families life."
A Boeing spokesperson says company officials haven't see today's suit, so they can't comment on it except to say the "air in airplane cabins is safe."
Boeing does have some legal history on its side. Seven years ago, two dozen Alaska Airlines flight attendants lost in a similar lawsuit.
