Lawsuit: Disabled Woman Airline Staff Declined to Help Left Paralyzed

A woman alleges Southwest Airlines workers refused to help her while she was in a wheelchair, which resulted in severe injury, according to court documents.

“The Broward County suit asserts that Gaby Assouline, 24, who suffers from a muscle disease, was traveling from South Florida to Denver in February when she asked for someone to push her wheelchair down the corridor,” the New York Post reported Thursday.

A Southwest supervisor at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport allegedly declined her request for help and the woman had to go down the jet bridge alone.

“Assouline was then ‘thrown’ from the wheelchair before landing on her head — and is now paralyzed from the neck down, the suit states,” according to the Post.

A photo showed the young woman lying in a hospital bed:

Southwest’s airport and boarding assistance webpage says employees can assist individuals using wheelchairs through the airport. The person in need of assistance, Southwest says, simply needs to ask.

In reference to getting help boarding the aircraft, the page reads, “Customers with disabilities who need help boarding can preboard.”

“Tell a Customer Service Agent, then wait in the preboarding area near the gate. When preboarding is announced, let the Agent making boarding announcements know you’ll need assistance,” the site continued.

Video footage posted July 5 showed Gaby Assouline mouthing the words “Hi, Mom,” and her mother describing what happened before the incident:

“We believe that something in that jet bridge caused her to be ejected from the chair,” explained Robert Solomon of Saban and Solomon Law Firm.

According to the young woman’s mother, she has a disorder that transforms muscle into bone, the Post report said.

The suit demanded the airline pay for medical costs and also compensate the young woman for her suffering.