An American Airlines passenger is suing another passenger that says she attacked him.
They were flying American flight 2552 from Charlotte to Memphis on November 16, 2024. The woman seated behind him began acting erratically as the aircraft started its descent, he alleged in his lawsuit, and:
- She stuck her legs and feet into the space between his seat and the adjacent passenger’s seat.
- The other passenger complained to a flight attendant, who told her to remove her feet, fasten her seatbelt, and put her seat upright and locked for landing.
- She initially complied. But after the flight attendant left, she stood up, lunged over his seat, and struck him on the side of the head with a full weight body blow.
- His head hit the aircraft sidewall. He may have gone unconscious. His glasses were knocked off, and when he bent down to retrieve them, she tried to continue the attack.
Eventually flight attendants subdued the woman. She kept swearing at and threatening, though, and continued even after landing in Memphis where law enforcement responded.
The victim filed a federal civil lawsuit in the Western District of Tennessee on May 22, 2025, alleging battery, negligence, and gross negligence. He only sued the passenger, not the airline.. That is unusual – normally people go after the deep pocket, not the perpetrator. He’s seeking at least $75,000 in compensatory damages and $150,000 in punitive damages.
A parallel federal criminal case against the woman was filed. That led to the civil case being stayed. This is common:
- The plaintiff will want the criminal conviction to bolster their civil case
- The defendent won’t want a deposition in the civil case to be used against her at the criminal trial.
If the facts are as alleged in legal documents, this is fairly inexplicable – a mental break, perhaps, though she was described as possibly intoxicated. What I really like to see, though, is the attempt to hold the actual (alleged) perpetrator responsible for their action rather than the airline.
Classic VFTW content! “I must say, damn good stuff, Sir.” — Lieutenant Archie Hicox (played by Michael Fassbender) from the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds.
“What I really like to see, though, is the attempt to hold the actual (alleged) perpetrator responsible for their action rather than the airline”. Well said, Gary !!!
God I hate our civil justice system. Something happens and people think they hit a payday. Get over it people. If you want justice deliver it yourself instead of looking for cash. Of course our society has gotten so weak no one wants to fight back or take care of themselves anymore – sad