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Woman sues airline after 2014 incident

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A woman is suing American Airlines after a 2014 flight into Charlotte.

She claims she needed help getting off the plane, didn't get that help and hurt herself.

The Nevada woman said that in 2014 , she was on a US Airways flight, and her boarding pass was marked for special services required.

The lawsuit claims she notified airline workers that she was not able to walk down stairs.

Despite that, the woman says she was “forced to walk down an exterior stairway."

She is now suing American Airlines which merged with US Airways, saying she hurt herself walking down the stairs.

An attorney for the woman says she was forced to have several surgeries and demands a $1.8 million settlement, according to court documents.

The documents claim US Airways had a prior history of these type of Federal Aviation Administration violations.

Court records also show that the Department of Transportation warned the airlines over what happened.

American Airlines and its attorneys claim the woman was "distracted" by a "handheld device" when she fell, according to court documents.

Federal court records show the case could now be headed to mediation, which is often the final step before a trial.

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