In February of 2019 Partner David Rutherford obtained summary judgment in favor of American Airlines in federal court in the Northern District of New York in a case alleging that a 73 year old blind passenger suffered PTSD when she was essentially “abandoned” at Washington Reagan Airport by several airlines during a change of flights when travelling from Fayetteville, North Carolina to Syracuse, New York.  The court agreed with the argument that Virginia law should apply and that, under Virginia law, a plaintiff can only recover for mental anguish if is accompanied by physical injury, which was not present in this instance.