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| © Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Zachary Coleman, a passenger on board the Southwest Airlines flight that blew an… |
By Emily Crane, Daily Mail
A passenger on board the Southwest Airlines flight that blew an engine and left a woman dead after she was partially sucked out of a window is now suing the airline.
Zachary Coleman filed the lawsuit against Southwest Airlines in New York on Thursday, claiming that he has been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder ever since the ill-fated flight in April.
Coleman was one of the 149 passengers on board Flight 1380 from New York to Dallas on April 17 when one of the aircraft's twin engines suddenly exploded at 32,000 feet.
[post_ads]The impact showered the jet with debris and shattered the window next to New Mexico bank executive Jennifer Riordan. The mother-of-two was fatally injured when she was sucked partway through the window, sending passengers scrambling to help her.
Coleman was sitting eight rows behind Riordan when the window shattered, according to the lawsuit obtained by DailyMail.com.
The suit claims that Coleman has suffered 'severe personal injuries' since the ordeal.
His injuries include, according to the suit: 'Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, emotional distress, depression, personal injuries to his body including the physical manifestations of the emotional and mental trauma he experienced and continues to suffer'.
The court documents state that Coleman 'witnessed the horror' as Riordan was pulled through the shattered window and he also watched as passengers 'risked their lives' to pull her back in.
'The engine failure and breach of the window caused severe vibrations and the cabin environment to become a whirlwind of airflow and airborne debris which struck Mr Coleman and obstructed his breathing,' the lawsuit states.
'The environment exacerbated Mr Coleman's panic and horror in the midst of the violent conditions within the cabin.
'He prayed and feared for his life, he heard other passengers using their cell phones to reach out to loved one to say their final goodbyes, and he thought he was going to die.'
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Coleman is seeking compensation for damages including loss of earnings, as well as the mental, emotional and physical pain and suffering he has endured.
The lawsuit claims Southwest Airlines breached its duty of care by failing to inspect the plane's engines for 'signs of impending catastrophic failure'.
The plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia about 20 minutes into the flight.
Riordan was the only one of the 149 people on board who suffered fatal injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board believes one of the engine fan blades snapped.
All passengers on the flight each received a $5,000 check from Southwest Airlines and a $1,000 gift voucher.
