Delta Airlines Breaks Woman’s Wheelchair: ‘This Is My Life, My Legs’

At Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., we often work firsthand with people who have disabling conditions, often caused by the negligence of others. We believe that all individuals should be treated with dignity, regardless of their medical condition. We also strive to raise awareness of the challenges people with disabilities may face.

Unfortunately, a recent story and TikTok viral video show that there is still much work to be done in this arena as a woman was left in tears after dealing with a broken wheelchair on a Delta flight.

The Incident

A woman and her friend boarded a Delta Airlines flight. They both use wheelchairs. The woman has quadriplegia which causes reduced function in all four limbs. Both women left instructions and notes for airport staff who were responsible for transporting their wheelchairs. During the flight, both women were given a small airport-provided aisle chair. 

Once the woman was helped from her aisle chair into her own wheelchair, she knew that something was wrong. One of the wheels was destroyed and the chair’s backrest was folded down. The damage made it so that the chair could not be moved forward. 

The woman reported the issue to the airline, but she was ultimately told that there was nothing the airline could do at the moment. The woman’s friend captured the heartbreaking story on video, which has since gone viral.

The Importance of Her Chair

The woman desperately tried to explain the issue to airline staff, but they just didn’t seem to get it. She said, “This is my life, my legs.” While the airline was able to place her in another wheelchair, it wasn’t the same. As she explained, her wheelchair was specifically made for her and her condition. She has powered wheels while the airline’s chairs have manual wheels, which are a strain for the passenger. 

She says that her wheelchair is part of who she is. The chair gives her freedom and a damaged wheelchair is just like a broken bone. When the airline damaged her wheelchair, her freedom vanished. The chair is an important part of her life, and she has even named it. 

The airline took about a week to send replacement powered wheels to the passenger who had to borrow manual wheels from friends while she was on vacation. 

Raising Awareness of Traveling with Disabilities 

Delta Airlines admitted it fell short in the situation. Unfortunately, the mishandling of wheelchairs on airplanes is not uncommon. 

According to the Air Travel Consumer Report, Delta Airlines had mishandled 103 wheelchairs during the first three months of the year. One report shows that airlines mishandle 29 wheelchairs a day and that they damage thousands of other mobility aids every year. 

This is a huge problem when such aids help people see, hear, walk, and perform other basic life functions. In many situations, the airlines may take days or weeks to replace the damaged items. In others, they never make it right. 

As for the Delta passenger, she has teamed up with the founder and president of All Wheels Up, an advocacy organization that wants airplanes to include a designated spot for wheelchairs on planes. The pair say that they want to raise awareness about traveling with disabilities. We share this mission.

If you need any assistance from a personal injury lawyer, reach out to Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard through our online form or call us at (877) 975-7991. We want to help in any way we can.