On his way home from his Aruba vacation, Gregory Lagana didn’t expect to be smacked around by an American Airlines flight attendant in front of his wife and kids.
Lagana ordered a coke with ice, but got a mere can of coke instead. An argument ensued—Lagana said, ‘Just give me the f***ing ice!’ and then flight attendant Lance Wiley pinned Lagana’s right arm down and repeatedly punched him in the face and back of the head. All this while Lagana was strapped in by his seat belt, according to the complaint filed in early January by Lagana’s lawyer, Edward Capozzi.
Not exactly a coke and a smile.
Lagana asked American Airlines for $161,000 for his injuries: brain injury, severe headaches, and impairment of attention.
The complaint states that, “The unreasonable sequence of events was wholly unexpected by the plaintiff, a mere airplane passenger traveling with his family who did not expect to be punched in the head and face by a flight attendant without cause.”
At least he wasn’t dragged off his United flight by his arms like David Dao M.D. in 2017. In Dao’s case, there was video evidence that went viral, and Dao likely received a hefty sum in the settlement.
Unfortunately for Lagana, there doesn’t appear to be any video to back up his claims.
American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller told USA Today “We are reviewing the lawsuit and the details of the flight,” and declined to comment further.
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