Crash Victim Sues Asiana Airlines in U.S. Court

A Chinese national who was injured in the crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco last month has filed a lawsuit against the airline in U.S. court.

The lawsuit was filed by Zhengheng Xie, who is a professor at Shanghai University. Xie was en route to visit his son, who had purchased a ticket on the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 for his father.

The plane crashed while landing at the San Francisco airport on July 6, causing Xie to suffer a broken spine and be confined in a body cast. Three passengers were killed in the crash.

Xie and his wife, Wei Song, are suing the South Korean airline for $5 million in damages, according to court documents.

Under international treaty rules, most other non-U.S. passengers on the flight will be forced to file a lawsuit in their home country, where damage awards for injuries are rare.

Xie is able to sue in U.S. court because his ticket was purchased in the U.S.