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Airline Takes Apart Dude’s $20,000 Wheelchair and Gives Him Back Pieces
Federal rules state clearly that wheelchairs may be taken apart during a flight in order to save room. But they also say they'll be put back together. Except when they're not. Then you're kinda screwed.
The Consumerist reports that one United Airlines passenger with a $20,000 power wheelchair had a powerfully rude surprise when he landed in Oklahoma City:
The Consumerist reports that one United Airlines passenger with a $20,000 power wheelchair had a powerfully rude surprise when he landed in Oklahoma City:
"When I arrived in Oklahoma City, I came out to nothing more than a seat and a set of wheels," the man tells KFOR-TV.That's quite a lot missing! He was left without any means of moving, and beyond that degradation, had to pay up $1,200 to repair UA's stupidity. And according to the repair shop, this sort of botched job happens pretty frequently. At the very least, United Airlines apologized and offered to pay for the fix. [KFOR.com via Consumerist]
Funny country we live in, where people feel they're entitled to huge payouts whenever they're wronged a little bit. I say square up with him, pay for the actual costs he incurred as a result of the inconvenience, and maybe offer him a free travel voucher as a no-hard-feelings gesture.
These people asking for $10,000+ on top of the repairs are the problem with our sue-happy culture.
These people asking for $10,000+ on top of the repairs are the problem with our sue-happy culture.
That's probably because more times then not we're told to piss off.
"and maybe offer him a free travel voucher as a no-hard-feelings gesture."
That would make the average persons day! Instead, regardless of how much money someone else's mistake costs us, we're given nothing more then a "oops, sorry" if even that.
"and maybe offer him a free travel voucher as a no-hard-feelings gesture."
That would make the average persons day! Instead, regardless of how much money someone else's mistake costs us, we're given nothing more then a "oops, sorry" if even that.
I've missed connecting flights due to delays and been offered free business class upgrades for the flight that left an hour later. They're not complete monsters, most of them.
In this case it's warranted, IMO. Presumably his chair wasn't fixed instantly, probably not even the same day, or even the same week. So he had no convenient way to get around for all that time. Plus, add on stress, time lost, etc., I think he deserves more.
"here's a free travel voucher. oh and we're going to have to take apart this wheelchair. Dont worry you'll get it back all put together." Then the whole thing starts again.
I mostly agree with you, but I think there should be some amount of compensation for leaving the guy with a broken wheel chair.
I mostly agree with you, but I think there should be some amount of compensation for leaving the guy with a broken wheel chair.
Well, refund the flight he just took, then, if you don't want him roped into taking another UA flight.
I just think that the sums of money people ask for in these situations is absurd. Even with the inconvenience, it's nothing near $10,000 of distress. I would put the value at less than $1,000, really.
I just think that the sums of money people ask for in these situations is absurd. Even with the inconvenience, it's nothing near $10,000 of distress. I would put the value at less than $1,000, really.
"I just think that the sums of money people ask for in these situations is absurd".
Or they could not screw up in the first place. That would be even cheaper.
Or they could not screw up in the first place. That would be even cheaper.
They made a mistake, they admitted it, and they're willing to make things square. I just don't think $10,000+ is fair.
Did you read the article? He couldn't even get a response to his complaint until the TV station got involved to help.
Eh, I hadn't followed through to the source. Giz's article made no mention of UA being difficult (aside from not assembling his chair like they were supposed to).
You are clearly not a alpha male. You are a Omega. The bottom. Please don't have any children thank you.
well that's pretty douchey of you. Please take your own advice.
He's simply asking for reimbursement for the repair job his chair now needs thanks to the negligence of the airline, oh and an apology.
Lawsuits typically ask for large sums of money to recoup lawyer fees as well as discourage others from doing the same thing. If it costs an airline $10,000 + when they mistreat a handicapped passenger then the hope is that they will do that less. It seems the only way to really change the way a large corporation acts is to effect their bottom line.
First, tort liability should at the very least compensate the victim for his loss. How much is it worth to you to be unable to leave your bed for a week? A month? (As a point of reference, it recently took 3 weeks for my son's chair to get repaired. Luckily, we had a loaner in the interim.) He could have easily also missed -- or lost -- his job while the chair was being repaired. To me, that would be worth well over $10,000. And I wouldn't consider it an "inconvenience."
More importantly, airlines are a business, and they can and should do whatever makes them the most profit. Thus, the airline will only take precautions to ensure that wheelchairs stop getting broken if it expects that the costs of lawsuits will exceed the costs of fixing its processes. If it costs the airline $5 per flight to institute precautions against broken chairs, and chairs are broken 1% of the time, it will cost $500 to prevent one broken chair. If 5% of the people whose chairs are broken sue and recover $1,000 each, it will cost the airline only $50 average per broken chair if it does *not* fix its processes. In this example, the only way it will make business sense for the airline to fix its processes is if the cost of anticipated lawsuits is greater than $500 per broken chair. Since only 5% of the people sue, the airline will only fix its processes if each lawsuit costs it $10,000.
More importantly, airlines are a business, and they can and should do whatever makes them the most profit. Thus, the airline will only take precautions to ensure that wheelchairs stop getting broken if it expects that the costs of lawsuits will exceed the costs of fixing its processes. If it costs the airline $5 per flight to institute precautions against broken chairs, and chairs are broken 1% of the time, it will cost $500 to prevent one broken chair. If 5% of the people whose chairs are broken sue and recover $1,000 each, it will cost the airline only $50 average per broken chair if it does *not* fix its processes. In this example, the only way it will make business sense for the airline to fix its processes is if the cost of anticipated lawsuits is greater than $500 per broken chair. Since only 5% of the people sue, the airline will only fix its processes if each lawsuit costs it $10,000.
I'm talking about the airline recouping whatever this ends up costing the guy. So if he lost his job or something, that would obviously factor in and at that point I'd agree with it getting more expensive. I'm just talking about the times where people sue for the amount it cost them plus some absurd sum for emotional distress or a less dire inconvenience.
You would probably know the answer to this, being that your son uses one... if one has decent health insurance, it helps with the cost of buying/renting the chair, right? Isn't that why these things are so expensive in the first place?
You would probably know the answer to this, being that your son uses one... if one has decent health insurance, it helps with the cost of buying/renting the chair, right? Isn't that why these things are so expensive in the first place?
Sounds about right. Plus a little bit for whatever else it cost him (I'm sure not having your wheelchair for several days forces you to spend a little money you wouldn't have otherwise spent).
Not really sure where that came from. Is it the policy of "alpha males" to file frivolous lawsuits or something? That doesn't sound very manly to me.
Furthermore, I'd recommend the person who doesn't know how to use "an" when appropriate is the one who probably shouldn't procreate.
Furthermore, I'd recommend the person who doesn't know how to use "an" when appropriate is the one who probably shouldn't procreate.
To give you an idea of how long most of these chairs take to fix, my foster brother just got his back for a battery repair, after 3 months. He spent 3 months in an old scooter that doesn't hold a charge for more than 30 minutes and push-chairs, where hes left to the mercy of someone else.
I'd say taking a handicapped mans mobility for 3 months, more than warrants something extra.
If they accidentally blinded you for 3 months, I bet you'd be singing a different tune.
I'd say taking a handicapped mans mobility for 3 months, more than warrants something extra.
If they accidentally blinded you for 3 months, I bet you'd be singing a different tune.
Like I said, however much it actually costs him, they should pay it. If it ends up costing him three months of mobility, clearly it was a bigger error than most people considered it, and they should owe him a bigger apology. I'm sure, if that ends up being the case, they'll offer him plenty, to the point where suing would still seem greedy.
People that don't have a disability can just easily move on to their destination and not worry too much about it. How do you know the actual costs he incurred? Maybe as a result of him being delayed getting to his destination he lost a business or job opportunity. The point is, handicapped people in this country are not taken into account as much as they should be, it isn't like the wheelchair was just a convenience for the guy, it is the only way he has to get where he needs to go, the wheelchairs they use on the plane aren't good for anything.
a travel voucher is shit. this guy was without a highly custom item that he requires for normal daily life. it is tantamount to being on house arrest for the duration of the repair. 10k sounds just about right.
I never claimed to know the actual costs incurred.
FOR THE LAST TIME, reimburse him for the actual costs incurred, and give him some apology gift based on how big the gaffe actually turned out to be. I just don't think this is one of those things that should lead to a giant lawsuit. There's nothing callous about that.
FOR THE LAST TIME, reimburse him for the actual costs incurred, and give him some apology gift based on how big the gaffe actually turned out to be. I just don't think this is one of those things that should lead to a giant lawsuit. There's nothing callous about that.
If he was unable to move about for a week or more and it cost him thousands of dollars in trouble, sure. I just don't like the big pile-on for emotional distress that usually comes with one of these lawsuits.
"reimburse him for the actual costs incurred"
And when the corporation refuses to do so, or lowballs you, that's why we have lawsuits. Unfortunately, corporations don't give people $10,000 out of the goodness of their hearts. They only do it in the face of a lawsuit or the threat of one. That's the way they are set up to work: if they go giving money away, their shareholders will kill them. On the other hand, if they settle a lawsuit, their shareholders love them.
I think the reason that people are piling on you for your comment is that you're dissing him for filing a lawsuit, when in reality that is the only way for him to get compensation.
And when the corporation refuses to do so, or lowballs you, that's why we have lawsuits. Unfortunately, corporations don't give people $10,000 out of the goodness of their hearts. They only do it in the face of a lawsuit or the threat of one. That's the way they are set up to work: if they go giving money away, their shareholders will kill them. On the other hand, if they settle a lawsuit, their shareholders love them.
I think the reason that people are piling on you for your comment is that you're dissing him for filing a lawsuit, when in reality that is the only way for him to get compensation.
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