PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A jury has ordered Alaska Airlines to pay $3.2 million to the family of a 75-year-old disabled woman who died four months after falling down a Portland International Airport escalator.
The family of Bernice Kekona of Spokane filed a wrongful death suit against Alaska Airlines in 2017, alleging neglect at the airport contributed to her injuries. The jury returned its verdict Monday.
Kekona had been traveling from Hawaii to Spokane with a transfer of planes in Portland. She was disabled with an amputated leg and other health issues. An pre-arranged escort didn’t show up to help her change planes, so she attempted to use the escalator on her own while in a wheelchair and tumbled down the escalator instead.