2 crash passengers sue Continental over runway skid

January 13, 2009

In the moments after their plane crashed, Melissa Craft says she twisted in her seat to make sure she wasn’t paralyzed, while Emily Pellegrini struggled frantically with a seat belt that wouldn’t budge.

On Monday, Craft and Pellegrini, both passengers of the Houston-bound Continental Airlines flight that veered off a runway in Denver last month, became the first people to sue Continental over the crash.

The civil suit, filed in state district court in Houston, alleges that the airline and the two pilots on board Flight 1404 were negligent in aborting a troubled takeoff and crashing into a nearby ravine a few days before Christmas. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for physical and emotional suffering related to the crash.

Attorney Jason Gibson, who represents both women, said he had spoken to other passengers and plans to file more lawsuits related to the crash. Continental officials said the lawsuit was hasty since federal investigators still haven’t concluded what caused the crash.

Read Article: Houston Chronicle

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney