Delta Air Lines sued by Connecticut mayor over dog bite
'This is not the type of thing people should have to worry about on an airplane'
A Connecticut mayor is suing Delta Air Lines after he says a dog bit him during a flight two years ago.
According to the lawsuit, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim was sitting in his assigned seat on a Delta flight in November 2018 when he was bitten by a dog belonging to a boarding passenger.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 49.90 | +1.96 | +4.08% |
In the lawsuit, Ganim claims he suffered "serious, severe, painful and permanent injuries" to his "left lower extremity" and that the bite left "scarring and disfigurement." The suit also alleges that the mayor had to undergo a series of "painful" rabies treatments after the airline failed to provide him information regarding the dog's medical history or the owner's contact information.
Following the incident, Ganim allegedly asked Delta if the dog had all its vaccinations, including rabies. However, the airline declined to provide that information, according to the suit.
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Delta "failed to safeguard the plaintiff from unwarranted harm by allowing a dog neither crated nor muzzled to walk freely on and within the cabin of the plane," the suit states.
A Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-300 with the registration N808NW takes off from Amsterdam Airport (AMS) in the Netherlands. (iStock)
As a result, Ganim incurred medical expenses for the rabies treatment and medications, the lawsuit said.
The New Haven Register was first to report on the lawsuit.
"This is not the type of thing people should have to worry about on an airplane," Ganim told FOX Business.
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Per Delta's policy, passengers are required to provide proof that their dog is an emotional support animal before allowing them to board the plane, the lawsuit stated. However, the suit claimed the dog was allowed onto the aircraft "without proper documentation that it was for emotional support" and "was not being utilized for emotional support."
Ganim said that while he is a dog lover, Delta "never should have put not any dog or person in that situation."
Delta declined FOX Business' request for comment.