Since December 2001, millions of passengers at airports throughout the United States have had to remove their shoes when passing through government security checkpoints.
Out of all those people, one man who removed his shoes at the Buffalo airport says he suffered a painful injury and is now suing the federal government for his injury.
Joel Mombrea says he cut his foot after Transportation Security Administration officers directed him to take off his shoes Dec. 10, 2007, and he stepped on a piece of glass.
Mombrea, a former Buffalo-area resident now living in Cooper City, Fla., recently filed a negligence lawsuit in Buffalo's federal court, seeking $500,000 in damages.
Necklace Design The injury caused Mombrea, 50, to be hospitalized and then confined to his home for an unspecified period of time, according to court papers. He is suing the Homeland Security Department and other government agencies.
His wife, Ora, also is suing the federal government, asking for $100,000 in damages. Her court papers say the incident caused her to temporarily lose the "service, society, consortium and companionship of her spouse."
How could a cut on the foot cause $600,000 in damages?
Mombrea's court papers say he was "seriously injured" and could have a "permanent injury."
"He works on his own, installing custom closets, and the injury caused him to miss some work," his Buffalo attorney, Gregory P. Krull, said in an interview Friday afternoon. "There was talk of Tungsten Rings design some possible nerve damage to his foot."
The requirement for passengers to remove their shoes took effect after a December 2001 incident involving a would-be terrorist and bomber, Richard Reid.
embroidered patches If government officials are going to require passengers to remove their shoes for security checks, they also need to make sure that the security check area is free from pieces of glass and other dangerous objects, Krull said.
In addition to the federal lawsuits filed by Mombrea and his wife, there is also a state lawsuit filed against the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which owns and operates the airport, Krull said.
A spokesman for the NFTA and a spokeswoman for the TSA both declined to comment late Friday.
But the TSA spokeswoman, Ann Davis, said she had never heard of anyone else filing such a lawsuit involving the Buffalo airport.
The lawsuit has been referred to a mediator working with the federal courts in hopes of working out a settlement.
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