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- American Airlines is being sued for negligence by a passenger over what she says was a faulty overhead locker.
- Marida Guerrero claimed a heavy piece of luggage fell out of the locker and injured her.
- The incident has left her with lasting physical and mental issues, the lawsuit says.
An American Airlines passenger is suing the airline over claims that a faulty overhead locker led her to sustain "severe, permanent, and disabling injuries."
Marida Guerrero flew with American Airlines from Dallas-Fort Worth airport to her hometown of Tampa, Florida, on May 9, 2021.
When the plane landed in Florida, "an exceptionally large and heavy piece of luggage containing electronics" fell from the overhead compartment opposite her aisle seat and struck her, according to her claim, which was filed in a Florida District Court on September 24.
Guerrero said the incident caused her "serious bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity to enjoy life, expenses of hospitalization, of medical and nursing care and treatment, loss of earnings and ability to earn a living."
The court document states that American Airlines flight attendants checked and closed all overhead compartments before takeoff. There was no unusual turbulence during the flight that would have caused the overhead compartment to open, the suit said.
However, Guerrero's suit accuses the airline of negligence for failing to adequately maintain the overhead compartment.
She claims the airline "knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that it was dangerous" to sit her across from the locker, which was in a "defective state."
Guerrero requests compensatory damages and a trial by jury to decide the case.
American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
In February, the airline raised its charges for checked baggage, increasing the cost for the first checked bag bought online from $30 to $35.
However, the airline's policies for carry-on luggage are less stringent. Unlike many carriers, which limit the weight of cabin bags to no more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds), American Airlines does not state a weight limit in its online guidance for carry-on luggage.