A Pennsylvania woman says what was supposed to be a trip to Germany with her daughter turned into a nightmare after she was allegedly rushed off a plane and fell down wet aircraft stairs.
Patricia Gunsser and her husband, Paul, have filed a civil complaint against Lufthansa Group and its subsidiary Discover Airlines after Patricia claims she suffered serious injuries while getting off a flight in Frankfurt.
According to the complaint, Patricia boarded a Discover flight operated on behalf of Lufthansa from Philadelphia to Frankfurt on Nov. 29, 2025.
When the plane landed, she claims it was “raining heavily.” But instead of parking the aircraft at a covered jet bridge, the airline allegedly parked it in a remote area on the tarmac.
That meant passengers had to use portable airstairs to get off the plane.
The lawsuit claims the handrail and stairs were wet from the rain and that the equipment allegedly did not have anti-slip grip strips or rubberized treads.
Before walking down, Patricia says she paused at the top of the stairs to talk with her daughter about how to safely make their way down.
According to the complaint, a Discover flight attendant saw the interaction and told them to keep moving without offering help.
The lawsuit alleges the flight attendant “rushed” Patricia and her daughter off the plane because other passengers were waiting behind them.
Moments later, Patricia says she slipped about five steps from the top of the staircase and tumbled down.
She claims she fell about two-thirds of the way down before landing on the tarmac.
The injuries were severe.
According to the complaint, Patricia suffered a concussion, fractures to her clavicle and sternum, a cardiac contusion, and multiple other wounds.
She was taken to a hospital in Frankfurt, where she remained for about two weeks.
But the ordeal did not end there.
The couple claims that during a later medical transport flight back to the United States, also operated by Lufthansa, Patricia suffered an “acute medical deterioration” because of the physical and emotional stress from the incident.
That flight reportedly had to make an unscheduled landing in Ireland. Patricia was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she says she was diagnosed with a serious infection and needed more treatment.
The complaint says Patricia was forced to remain overseas for about six weeks before she was finally medically cleared to return home.
Patricia and Paul are now seeking monetary damages from Lufthansa and Discover Airlines. They claim Patricia’s injuries and losses are permanent and that the couple will continue to suffer damages in the future.
Their attorney, Zachary Gorwitz, said Patricia had been looking forward to a wonderful trip to Germany with her daughter.
“Unfortunately, Lufthansa and Discover Airlines did not meet their responsibility to ensure Mrs. Gunsser arrived in Germany safely,” Gorwitz said in a statement.
He added that the family wants answers about why Patricia was allegedly rushed to deplane on wet metal stairs.
Counsel for Lufthansa and Discover Airlines filed a notice on May 19 transferring the lawsuit to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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I don’t understand why people never take any responsibility. If someone told me to hurry and she could clearly see it was wet why would you listen to her? You’re a grown up you would go at your pace, people could either go around or wait behind you. I don’t think all the fault is with the airline.
Always sue deep pockets…