A Delta Air Lines plane.
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Yesenia Compean was traveling from Atlanta to Mexico with Delta Air Lines in 2022.The suit alleges airline agents caused “severe injury” when they dropped her while moving her to a wheelchair.And her electronic wheelchair was damaged in the cargo hold, per the suit.
A quadriplegic woman filed a suit against Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico on Friday, saying she was left with $400,000 in medical bills and a damaged wheelchair after being dropped by Delta employees while traveling.
Yesenia Compean was flying from Atlanta, Georgia to Tampico, Mexico — with a layover in Mexico City — on March 19, 2022 when the incident occurred, according to the lawsuit seen by Business Insider. She said she bought the ticket through Delta, and a codesharing agreement meant Aeromexico operated the second leg.
Delta agents helped Compean board the aircraft in Atlanta without incident and her electronic wheelchair was loaded into the cargo hold, per the complaint.
But upon arriving in Mexico City, the lawsuit says that agents of Delta and Aeromexico “failed to use reasonable care” when transferring her to the wheelchair, and they dropped her.
Compean suffered “severe injury” from the fall, and was further injured when the agents lifted her from the floor, according to the suit.
Compean continued on to Tampico, where she found her electronic wheelchair had “suffered extensive damage” during the flight.
She later had an “extended hospital stay” and required surgery as a result, leading to $400,000 in medical bills, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit asks that Compean is reimbursed for the medical bills and damaged wheelchair, plus damages.
Her claim is based on the Montreal Convention which stipulates that airlines are liable for any passenger injuries or damaged baggage onboard an aircraft, unless they can prove the passenger was negligent.
A Delta spokesperson told Business Insider: “While we don’t have any comment on this pending litigation, Delta teams strive for a high standard of care when serving our customers with disabilities.”
Aeromexico did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.
Back in August, United Airlines settled for $30 million with the family of a quadriplegic man who was left brain damaged after he was “violently” moved while deplaning, according to the lawsuit.