HOUSTON – A lawsuit between a local man and United Airlines has been settled – litigation that alleged flight attendants bumped the man’s elbow not once but twice with a service cart on separate occasions.
Scott Walkinshaw filed the suit Feb. 1 in Harris County District Court.
According to his lawsuit, on April 23, 2019, Walkinshaw was traveling first class on an United flight. During meal service, two flight attendants “carelessly came barreling” from the back of the aircraft with a service cart, “which was not supposed to be in the First Class cabin to begin with,” to retrieve an item.
In their rush, the flight attendants failed to notice Walkinshaw’s elbow was “protruding slightly into the aisle” as he cut his food, striking his elbow “with enough force to knock the utensil out of (his) hand.”
Around eight months later, Walkinshaw alleges another flight attendant struck his elbow with a cart while he was working on his laptop, “worsening the already injured elbow.”
“The combination of these two incidents has resulted in serious and permanent nerve damage to Plaintiff’s elbow,” the suit states.
Court records show that on May 6 Walkinshaw filed a motion for nonsuit, stating that the parties have “settled all matters between them.”
An order granting the nonsuit with prejudice was entered the following day.
Walkinshaw was suing for his alleged mental anguish, pain, impairment and medical expenses.
Houston attorney Robert Lapin represented him.
Case No. 2021-06066