Just be Thankful

Remember a couple of weeks ago when that United Airways plane sucked birds in it's engine and the Captain was able to land it in the Hudson. How amazing that everyone survived right? While listening to the news coverage that night and in the days following I kept thinking wow! You don't expect many, if any, survivors when a plane goes down and it was just amazing that everyone walked away. I kept wondering how I would feel if I was in that situation. How happy I would be to have survived and to be able to walk off that plane and be able to see my family again, it would be like having another chance and boy, grateful would not even begin to cover it.

Then, I forget what show I was watching, I saw someone on TV wonder out loud how long it would take for someone to file suit.

Well, according to Gary Stoller of USA Today it could be sooner than later.

So US Airway is reimbursing the price of the ticket to everyone on board and sending $5000 to cover immediate costs but some people aren't happy with that:

Joe Hart, a salesman from Charlotte who suffered a bloody nose and bruises, says he "would like to be made whole for the incident."

It's too soon after the accident to determine what emotional distress he has suffered, he says...In addition to recovering losses, Hart says he's concerned about having trouble flying. He's flown on six planes since the accident, and each flight has gotten "progressively more difficult."

He says he was tense, sweated and "felt every bit of turbulence" on a Los Angeles-to-Philadelphia flight last week, though it wasn't that turbulent a flight.

Hart says he has talked to a lawyer in North Carolina but hasn't decided whether to take any legal action.

"I want to see how things play out with US Airways," he says. "I'm hopeful US Airways understands the significance of the incident."

I really hope this lawyer he's talking to tells him he should be happy he's alive. I'm not a bible thumper but I do believe in God and I do believe it is a miracle that everyone survived that crash and maybe he should just take that gift and be glad he's not dead. Hey guy you just survived a plane crash! Not many people can say they walked away when the plane they were in went down! Maybe instead of wanting to get what you can out of it you should be thankful that you had a very good very competent pilot at the helm and that you walked away! But it's not just him, apparently some other passengers have contacted a law firm in New York.

Some of the passengers did understand what was really important in all of this, the fact that they came out of it with their lives:

Sanderson, a father of four, says he's thankful he could celebrate his 48th birthday on Friday and has no reason to talk to an attorney.

"US Air has been doing the right thing," he says. "Everyone is acting in a responsible way."

Fred Berretta, who suffered a small cut on his head during the crash landing, says US Airways representatives have called frequently and treated him very well. He says that a few personal mementos from his father were left behind but that the money sent by US Airways covers the value of his belongings.

Berretta, who works for a financial services company, was flown home to Charlotte after the crash on his company's jet.

"I'm a private pilot, and I'm sure I'll be flying again," he says. "But it might be a little while before I fly for pleasure again."

Amber Wells of Charlotte says she's so thankful to have survived and to be with her 9-month-old daughter, Rayley, that she hasn't had time to think about her belongings.

She says she lost $2,000 of nursing equipment and a laptop computer, as well as a checked bag and a carry-on bag.

"Everything that's gone can be replaced," says Wells, 34, a senior manager for NASCAR. "My life cannot be replaced."

Thank you very much Mrs. Wells!