Wrongful Death Suit Planned Against Southwest

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The family of a six year-old boy who was killed when a Southwest jet skidded off a runway at Midway airport in Chicago plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Dallas-based airline.

Joshua Woods was riding in the family car when the jet crashed through a runway barrier on a snowy evening in early December. The airplane hit the car on central avenue. Joshua died of compression asphyxiation, and his parents say they still suffer pain from injuries received in the accident.

According to the Chicago Tribune,

Attorneys for the family plan to file suit in Cook County Circuit Court seeking unspecified damages against the airline, the pilots and the City of Chicago, said family spokesman and lawyer Ron Stearney Jr. The lawsuit would allege negligence and wrongful death, and seek damages for pain and suffering, he said.

Two passengers aboard Southwest Flight 1248 are already suing the Dallas-based airline. Mariko L.A. Bennett and Stanley L. Penn allege they were injured when the Boeing 737 slammed through the airport barrier.

They also allege negligence by the airline in a number of ways, including the decision to land in inclement weather and that the pilot touched down too far along the runway. The suit also names the city and Boeing as co-defendants.

Read the full wrongful death article.