A New York couple
has filed a lawsuit against U.S. low-cost carrier JetBlue and the TSA, alleging
that more than $95,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from their checked luggage
at JFK.
Natalie and Michael
Hekmat have named the airline and the government agency as co-defendants in the
lawsuit, claiming negligence and breach of contract, as they say that B6 and
the TSA should have prevented the king’s ransom from allegedly being taken from
their locked suitcase.
According to the
complaint, the couple flew from JFK to LAX on 21FEB. When they arrived at the
airport, Natalie Hekmat gave her Rimowa hard shell suitcase — which contained
the precious jewellery wrapped in a brown suede jewellery roll — to a B6
employee at the airport’s curbside check-in area.
Hekmat said that she
and her husband assumed that it would be fine to let nearly $100K of jewels out
of their sight because “at no time did [they] see a sign warning them that
valuables should not be checked in at the curbside check-in due to valuables
being separated, lost or stolen.”
When the couple
landed at LAX, they “immediately inspected their luggage” and discovered
that 8 rings worth a combined $95,000 were missing from the now-empty
roll.
The Hekmats say that
both the airline and TSA are responsible because the “Defendant TSA knew that
some employees might take property that did not belong to them, or should have
known of such propensity had Defendant TSA conducted an adequate hiring
procedure” and “because Plaintiffs reasonably believed that their property
would be safely delivered from JFK to LAX by defendant jetBlue in a safe
condition.”
The couple’s
attorney might have a seriously uphill battle, and not just because of his
clients’ questionable decision. The following paragraph is on
JetBlue’s website,
under the heading “Items JetBlue Does Not Hold Liability For”:
“Irreplaceable or
essential items (such as antiques, artifacts, car keys, house or other keys,
currency, cheques, negotiable papers, securities, essential medication,
heirlooms, collectible items, irreplaceable business documents ,
,jewellery, precious stones or metals including
silverware, natural fur products, optics, contact lenses, paintings/works of
art).”
TSA spokesperson
Mike England told USA Today’s Road Warrior Voices that the agency could not
comment on pending litigation. B6 corporate communications manager Philip
Stewart echoed that sentiment, but also added: “Customers are advised that
certain items are not covered under policies customers agree to when they
purchase a ticket. These items include jewellery, electronic equipment,
medicines, or valuables and compensation for the loss of such items is expressly
excluded.”
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