Passenger on Colorado Springs plane that caught fire at DIA files lawsuit against American Airlines

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A passenger who was among the over 170 evacuated off an American Airlines plane at the Denver International Airport (DIA) last month after the plane's engine caught fire is suing the airline, alleging negligence.

According to our partners at 9News in Denver, Jerry Adamson, a Texas resident being represented by Ramos law, filed the lawsuit in Denver District Court Monday.

The flight was en route from Colorado Springs to Dallas on March 13 when it was diverted to Denver due to "engine vibrations," the Federal Aviation Administration said. But upon landing, a fire erupted from the plane's engine, forcing an evacuation.

Video shows passengers standing on a wing of the plane as they attempt to escape the aircraft. A statement from Denver International Airport said 12 people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

READ MORE: Colorado Springs passenger recounts chaos of flight emergency landing and plane fire at DIA

The engine fire is still under federal investigation by The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to the lawsuit, Adamson was seated near the back of the plane when the engine caught fire. As he evacuated the plane, he "inhaled copious amounts of smoke and fire retardant," our Denver news partners report. Adamson was then taken to the hospital.

The lawsuit alleges that American Airlines was negligent during the incident, and that the airline and its staff didn't follow emergency checklists and standard operating procedures, failed to request emergency assistance in a timely manner, and failed to move passengers away from the engine as it was burning.

Following the emergency landing, a passenger told KRDO13 that the airline had offered her a $100 trip credit as a "small gesture to express [their] deepest regret," an email from the airline read.

After a request for comment, American Airlines said that the $100 credit is part of their standard process, and they are also offering the passengers 25,000 airline miles, which is about as much as a free roundtrip ticket.

American Airlines has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit from our Denver affiliates.