Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Some god or all knowing universe or karmic cosmic power is definitely having a laugh at us. How else to explain the bizarre coincidence that New York attorney Jake Bissell-Linsk literally had wash up on his doorstep.
See, Bissell-Linsk’s law firm is suing beleaguered aerospace company Boeing, In re The Boeing Company Securities Litigation. The class action complaint was filed on behalf of the Employees’ Retirement System of the State of Rhode Island, as described by the firm:
In October 2018 and March 2019, two Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes were involved in fatal crashes caused by malfunctions due to design flaws in the 737 MAX’s flight control software, resulting in the deaths of 346 people and leading to 737 MAX planes being grounded from March 2019 to December 2020.
On January 5, 2024, a “door plug” flew out of the side of a 737 MAX 9, leaving a gaping hole in the plane’s main cabin. Investigations into the incident led to the discovery of problems with such door plugs on other 737 MAX planes, including loose bolts holding the door plugs in place, further revealing the Company’s manufacturing and production missteps and leading to the grounding of many 737 MAX 9 planes.
Defendants are accused of failing to disclose that, throughout the Class Period, Boeing had been prioritizing its profits over safety, which led to poor quality control standards in the production of its commercial aircrafts such as the 737 MAX, resulting in a heightened risk of manufacturing flaws that could render the Company’s new airplanes unsafe.
Pretty standard fare for a plaintiff’s attorney. But the invisible string element happened when a Boeing passenger jet lost its emergency slide after take off from JFK airport. A few days later, it washed ashore — right in front of Bissell-Linsk’s home in Belle Harbor, New York.
He spotted the yellow slide from the window of his oceanfront home, as he detailed to the New York Post:
Bissell-Linsk said he went outside and got up close to snap pictures of the deflated, yellow slide, noting that it appeared to be intact despite being tangled in the rocks and floating in the surf.
“I didn’t want to touch it but I got close enough to get a close look at it,” Bissell-Linsk told The Post. “Our case is all about safety issues at Boeing, and this slide is literally right in front of my house.”
Delta confirmed they retrieved the slide:
“My neighbor called the FAA hotline and they are closed on Sundays,” Bissell-Linsk said. “So he just called Delta.”
“I see this Delta truck pull up and watch them pull it out of the water,” Bissell-Linsk said. “It took them about 10 minutes.”
The Rockaway Times got some shots of the recovery effort.
Bissell-Linsk said of the fortuitous discovery, “We haven’t decided if the slide is relevant to our case.” But you know it’ll somehow make its way into the case if the universe has anything to say about it.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
