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American Airlines allegedly lost a disabled man’s prosthetic leg in 2020 – and is still refusing to buy him a new one.
The prosthetic, worth just north of $26,000, belonged to Michael Williams – a disabled man from Missouri.
He claims the airline – which made headlines Monday when a woman was filmed berating a fellow passenger aboard an American Airlines flight – lost his suitcase containing the aluminum leg on a flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte in 2020.
Stored in checked bag, the custom-made device cost Williams $26,650 – but he says he’s only been paid $600 to cover the cost of clothes that were in the suitcase.
Now relegated to a wheelchair, he came forward in May to claim the airline had refused to foot the bill for any more of the the lost belongings, after he followed up to seek further compensation for the lost leg.
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The prosthetic, worth just north of $26,000, belonged to Michael Williams (seen here) – a disabled man from Missouri. It was lost in 2020. Still without a new leg years later, he came forward in May to claim the airline has refused to foot the bill for the custom-made limb
Speaking Fox2Now in May, the St. Louis resident – who has since retained a lawyer to help with negotiations – revealed his account of what transpired, and how he no longer flies as a result
Speaking Fox2Now, Williams – who lost his original leg in an unspecified accident in 2019 – revealed his version of what transpired, and how he no longer flies as a result.
‘The special-made leg, I put it in my suitcase. I put the sticker on it that says ‘fragile,’ the St. Louis resident recalled back in May.
‘I gave it to the young lady at American Airlines when I was checking in. When I get to St. Louis airport, they roll me downstairs to baggage claim. I’m sitting there waiting for my luggage to come off, and never comes off.’
With the bag nowhere to be seen, Williams said he went on to follow all of AA’s delayed or damaged baggage protocols – filing an official claim to seek compensation for his lost belongings, including the prosthetic leg.
He said he was initially paid the $600 sum to cover the clothes, after airline staffers failed to locate the leg.
When he followed up a few weeks later about reimbursement for the pricey prosthetic, he said he was refused by a rep due to lack of evidence.
‘When I spoke with the young lady that was handling the claim, she told me this was to cover the clothes that you lost. I was like, “Ok, fine, great,”‘ Williams recalled while seated outside his St Louis home.
Weeks later, a spokesperson allegedly broke the bad news.
Williams, who lives in St. Louise, lost his right leg in an accident in 2019
Stored in checked bag, the custom-made device cost Williams $26,650 – but he says he’s only been paid $600 to cover the cost of clothes that were in the suitcase
He claims the airline lost a suitcase containing the aluminum leg during a flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte in 2020. He now has to use a cheaper, less comfortable replacement
According to video posted to his Instagram, Williams said he underwent a below-the-knee amputation after surviving the unspecified accident, and the he had to learn how to walk again with the prosthetic – which was specially made
The leg was nowhere to be found when Williams arrived at St Louis International Airport (seen here) He says AA wouldn’t help him find it afterwards or give him compensation
‘We don’t have enough proof or evidence to pay for the leg, so we’re not going to pay for the leg,’ the rep allegedly said.
Still engaged in bitter talks some three years later, Williams has reportedly retained a lawyer to negotiate on his behalf, and has started a GoFundMe page to help raise the funds for a new prosthetic.
In statements to the media, he claimed the incident has left him scarred.
‘It’s to the point now that I don’t want to fly,’ Williams told Fox2, adding that he fears that his other mobility devices, such as his wheelchair, might also get lost.
If that happens, he said he risks not getting compensated again.
‘You can’t do this to somebody that’s disabled,’ Williams tearfully told the station. ‘Just say, “Hey, we lost something of yours, but we’re not going to pay for it.”‘
Posts to Williams’ Instagram page, meanwhile, reveal how he underwent a below-the-knee amputation after surviving an accident of unknown nature in 2019 – after which he was forced to learn how to walk again using a prosthetic.
He remembered: ‘I felt I like I was a freak. Everywhere I would go I had people staring at me.’
Still engaged in bitter talks some three years later, Williams has reportedly retained a lawyer to negotiate on his behalf, and has started a GoFundMe page to help raise the funds for a new prosthetic in the meantime
‘It’s to the point now that I don’t want to fly,’ Williams told a reporter with Fox2News in May, adding that he fears that his other mobility devices, such as his wheelchair, might also get lost
In the meantime, Williams has been left with a far less comfortable – and expensive – replacement, and spends most of his time in his wheelchair for comfort reasons
‘I had people staring at me point fingers – I even had people come up to me while I was in a grocery store,’ he continued, claiming people would assuming he lost his leg due to complications associated with advanced diabetes
‘If I had a soda in my hand they would tell me “you probably don’t need that since you already lost one I am sure you don’t want to lose the other one” all because I’m a big guy.’
Williams added that he is currently on a ‘fixed income’, and does not have any ‘extra funds to spare’ for a new custom prosthetic.
The one he lost, however – which had adorned with logos touting his favorite football team, the Chicago Bears – was priceless, due to its custom fit
‘When you find the one that works, that’s the one you want to hold onto,’ Williams told Fox2News.
‘I am begging that you would please consider helping by donating,’ he added on social media.
Started more than a year ago, the GoFundMe account – titled Help Me Get A Prosthetic Leg – has so far raised just $663 of his $30,000 goal.
In the meantime, Williams has been left with a far less comfortable – and expensive – replacement, and spends most of his time in his wheelchair for comfort reasons.
Williams says he is currently on a ‘fixed income’, and does not have any ‘extra funds to spare’ for a new custom prosthetic.
Started more than a year ago, the GoFundMe account – titled Help Me Get A Prosthetic Leg – has so far raised just $663 of his $30,000 goal. American Airlines has yet to comment
DailyMail.com has reached out to him for comment, along with American Airlines. Neither immediately responded.
While bizarre, Williams’ situation is not completely unique – with American famously losing a prosthetic leg belonging to a victim of the Boston marathon bombings.
The woman, former ballroom dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis, at the time said that officials said had no idea where the leg is.
Williams, who was eventually repaid, told ABC News: ‘We’ve been in communication but they’ve lost it. Can’t track it anywhere.’
More recently, a woman in Texas revealed unrelated Allegiant Airlines lost her artificial limb for 12 days in September 2020, before eventually tracking it down.
In that case, the victim, Emily Tuite, said she was also left traumatized by the incident, even after expensive, custom medical device inside was returned days after her California vacation had ended.
More recently, a woman in Texas, Emily Tuite, revealed Allegiant Airlines lost her artificial limb for 12 days in September 2020, before eventually tracking it down.
In that case, the victim said she was also left traumatized by the incident, even after expensive, custom medical device inside was returned days after her California vacation had ended
‘They never called me back after promising to do so. It seemed near impossible to get in touch with them,’ Tuite told DailyMail.com at the time.
That said, Williams – whose claims have yet to be substantiated – is not the only passenger who lost his suitcase while flying with American Airlines in recent months.
According to data from the Bureau of Transportation, the airline – currently embroiled in a series of disruptions affecting the airline industry as a whole – mishandled the highest number of luggage among all US airlines in 2022.
Despite prosthetics being allowed to be stored in carry-ons – or on the wearer themselves – passengers often elect to check them for comfort reasons. Such was the case in this instance, Williams has said.
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