Walter Loughney claims he was “struck” with punches and “severely beat” by a fellow passenger on a May 16, 2024, American Airlines flight
NEED TO KNOW
- Walter Loughney claims American Airlines ignored his requests to move seats before he was allegedly attacked mid-flight by a fellow passenger
- He says the alleged attacker, Allisen Elizabeth Werner, “struck him with punches, and severely beat him, which resulted in serious injury,” per a civil complaint
- Loughney further claims an American flight attendant stood by and failed to intervene
- Although Loughney’s complaint was dismissed without prejudice, he has until May 19 to file an amended complaint
An American Airlines passenger is accusing the company of negligence after he was allegedly “beat” by his “emotionally unbalanced” seatmate.
Palm Beach County resident Walter Loughney filed a civil complaint against the airline in a Florida district court on May 5. The lawsuit stems from an incident that allegedly took place on an American Airlines flight in May 2024.
In the complaint, Loughney says he was a ticketed passenger on board American flight 2485 from Palm Beach to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina on May 16. He claims to have sat in seat 18D. Another passenger, Allisen Elizabeth Werner of Michigan, allegedly sat next to him in seat 18E.
“From the time Werner boarded the subject flight, she began exhibiting erratic and emotionally unbalanced behavior such as loud singing and bellowing to herself,” the complaint says. “[Loughney] grew concerned about Werner’s behavior immediately after she seated herself next to him.”…