A Southwest Airlines flight attendant accuses the airlines of causing the death of her husband. 69-year-old Carol Madden claims that her husband contracted COVID19 due to the lax protocols of the airline. The incident happened during a mandatory training last summer. Madden sued the airline for wrongful death after she claims that her husband got sick after the training.
Her late husband was a retired railroad signal engineer who drove her from the one training in Baltimore-Washington International Airport last July. Madden’s husband got sick a few days after the training and tested positive for COVID19. He died a few weeks later in Pennsylvania with COVID pneumonia.
Madden said that she “firmly believes my husband would still be here” if the airline applied its safety protocols strictly. According to Madden, these safety protocols for passengers weren’t present during their training.
Southwest Promise
The Southwest Promise describes the airline’s COVID safety protocols. This involves cleaning, using HEPA filters to remove airborne particles, and equipping their employees with the necessary safety equipment.
The Southwest Airlines flight attendant seeks $3 million in damages for the negligence of the airline during the mandatory training last summer. She even said that “I love my airline, but they didn’t love me back”. The airline filed a motion to dismiss the case. Southwest expressed their sympathy to Madden. However, the airline insists that blaming them for the death of her husband is “misplaced”.
Southwest said that they are required to provide a “reasonably safe work environment” for their employees. However, “duty of care” doesn’t extend at home or to spouses. Plus, it is difficult to determine where Madden’s husband contracted the virus. The airline said that “the claims asserted in the complaint reflect an understandably emotional response to a devastating personal loss, but they are not actionable under the law”.
Madden’s attorney, Dan Mastromarco said that they are already looking to prepare a legal response. According to the lawsuit, there was no screening for COVID symptoms before or after the training for both participants and instructors. The lawsuit also mentioned that there were even no hand sanitizers present.
