We just got back early, early, this morning from our WDW trip. We had a wonderful time while we were there, but unfortunately there was a complete diseaster for our flight home. I will have a trip report later, but right now I want to explain our situation and hopefully get any advice and in sight from you guys!
My husband traveled with a
ECV due to the fact that he has a cyst on his spinal cord so walking in the parks for that length of time is just not realistic. Therefore, we took an ECV with us, which worked out wonderfully. On our flight home though he was injured while on the plane. He and our DD preboarded while I went to one of the fast food restaurants and got us a bite to eat for the flight home. I was waiting in the boarding line with the rest of the passengers on the jetway when all of a sudden the line stopped moving. After about 10 minutes of us all standing there, someone asked what the holdup was and someone standing towards the front of the line stated that a passenger had been injured. About 5 more minutes passed and then a SWA employee came out with my DD (age 7) who was hysterical and crying and told me that my husband had been injured and they were going to transport him by Ambulance to the hospital. I asked what had happened and was he alright (I hadn't yet seen him). The SWA employee told me that while my husband was sitting in his plane seat, the passenger behind him was putting his luggage up top and had not put it up in the above compartment good and it had fallen out and hit my husband on top of the head. It knocked him forward and on to his knees, and then he fell into the isle. They brought my husband out on a back board and had him immobilized with the hard neck collar. We were all scared to death!!! He was in tremendous pain and was having back spasms. They said that they were going to transport him by ambulance to the hospital for testing, but because our DD was underage, they said she could not ride in the Ambulance so we had to take a taxi to the hospital. One of our carry-on bags didn't make it off of the plane, which was my bag that had my money, ID, credit card, etc. Therefore, I had no money or anything. The SWA supervisor gave me a voucher for me and my DD to be able to take a taxi to the hospital with relunctance (first she said she had no way of providing us transportation). The 2 paramedics overheard me telling the SWA supervisor that I had no way of taking a taxi due to my bag being left on the plane and I had no money, credit card, etc. In just a few minutes one of the paramedics came over to me and gave me $43.00. The two paramedics took their hard-earned money right out of their wallets and gave that to me and my DD out of the goodness of their hearts!! I told him I didn't want to take it, but he insisted saying that we didn't know what the outcome was going to be and we may be here more than just overnight. I gratefully thanked him and asked him for his address so that when I got hom I could re-pay him the money. He told me it wasn't necessary, but after much persistence on my part, he gave me a business card with his name on it. He took the rest of our carry-on luggage and walked us down to Baggage Claim and explained the situatoin to the attendant there so they could hold our luggage for us until our next flight. At this point, the only flight they had going to our home destination was at 11:00 the next morning, and if not that one then it would be 8:00 that evening. He then walked with us outside to the taxi and explained the situation to them. I don't think I could ever thank him enough for helping us in our time of need. I was distraught and worried and just all tore up. I was a basket case. We have only flown twice in our whole life, this being number 2. I am not that familiar with baggage, and taxi's, etc. We normally drive when we go on vacation.
They did an x-ray and a CAT scan and said everthing came back negative, but that the jarring from the luggage hitting him on the head had compressed his spinal cord and had more than likely aggravated the cyst already on his spinal cord. While at the hospital, the lady that deals with the financial part of things came over to get our information and asked how would we be taking care of this ER visit bill. I explained to her what had happened and she said that we would have to get in touch with SWA, but that the bill would be sent to us. They released him, though still in alot of pain.
So we missed our flight that night because we didn't even leave the ER until 3:00am on Thursday morning. SWA supervisor was very nice and put us in a room at a hotel near the airport. I think we finally crawled into bed at around 4:00 (we got up that morning at around 6:30 because it was our last day at WDW).
The next morning we get to the airport and there had been some type of Security problem, so once again we have missed our flight(11:00 flight). The same supervisor was on duty (she had told me to have her paged when we got to the airport). She put us in a dayrooom at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport so that we could get some rest and booked us for the 8:00 flight. We made that flight, although it was delayed and didn't take off until 8:45. We finally arrive home this morning at 2:00am. My husband's back and neck is still hurting and he is extremely sore.
I called SWA Public Relations and talked to the head lady there and explained our situation. She told me that SWA was not liable and they would not be taking care of his medical bill! She asked me did we get the name of the passenger whom the bag belonged to that fell on my husband's head. I told her no. I wasn't even on the plane when it happened and my daugther is only 7, and for my husband, I mean he was in no shape to be asking for names!!!
Now, I don't know how other people may feel, but I do not think that we should have to pay for this!!! I have contacted an attorney and we will see if anything can be done. We are not the kind of people who just go after people. We just don't feel like we should have to pay this medical bill. We are not saying we are going to file a law suit, but we are trying to find out if there is anything what so ever than can be done to take care of this medical bill. If that is the case about the passenger, then surely they would have more than likely have his name in their accident report. She said they would have had to write one up.
If anyone has any advice, please feel free to give it. If you are flamming me, keep it to yourself. I'm not in the mood!!
Don't you have insurance??? If not, it sounds like you're just going to have to suck it up and pay your bill. Accidents happen. I sure don't want my airline tickets going up because of bogus medical claims. 
I'm sorry this happened to you. I find it very odd that they are not considered liable. This happened on their airline, because of their passenger who was seated behind your DH and because no one there was apparently paying attention to how the seating was going. 
