Kenneth Gow, a pilot for Delta Air Lines, rolled his foot at the end of a moving walkway at the Denver International Airport in 2022 (Screenshots from his attorney and the lawsuit)
A pilot whose foot got stuck in a moving walkway at Denver International Airport has filed a lawsuit claiming a missing part at the end of the walkway caused him to fall, hurting his shoulder and foot and causing him to require physical therapy and miss work.
Kenneth Gow, a pilot for Delta Air Lines, rolled his foot at the end of a moving walkway in an airport terminal in November 2022, according to his lawsuit filed in December 2023 in a federal court in the Mile High City.
“It’s really fortunate that Mr. Gow wasn’t hurt worse,” his attorney Brian Aleinikoff told Colorado NBC affiliate KUSA. “It was fortunate that Mr. Gow was wearing a pretty hefty shoe. It’s fortunate that he didn’t lose his toes.”
TK Elevator Corporation, named in the lawsuit, said in an email that “the safety of both the riding public and its employees remains TK Elevator’s top priority” and declined further comment citing company policy against commenting on pending litigation.
The complaint, obtained by Law&Crime, said as Gow got near the end of a moving walkway on Nov. 4, 2022, in Concourse A of the airport, he “suddenly felt a surge of pain in his foot and collapsed.”
“Ken looked over and saw that his foot and shoe had been swallowed by the walkway as it was missing a plate,” the lawsuit alleges. “Ken’s foot, sock, and shoe were severely damaged.”
The walkway was not in proper repair and “posed an unreasonable risk of injury to passengers on it,” creating a dangerous condition, court documents said.
Gow went to a clinic in Utah, where he’s from, on Nov. 7, 2022, for injuries to his left ankle, left foot and left shoulder. He was prescribed physical therapy, which he started on Nov. 29, 2022. However, he continued to have severe pain in his foot.
He was told to stay in a CAM boot foot brace and was diagnosed with synovitis and tenosynovitis, strain of the left Achilles tendon and contusion of the left foot, court documents said.
The lawsuit, alleging negligence, seeks an amount to be determined at trial for medicine, doctors’ fees, prescriptions, hospital care, imaging, physical therapy, and medical procedures. It also seeks damages for severe injuries and losses, including physical impairment, emotional distress, mental anguish, and physical suffering.
Denver International Airport — not named in the lawsuit — said in a statement obtained by KUSA, “The safety of our passengers and employees is always a top priority and we work diligently every day in partnership with our contractors to address issues.”
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