Texas Woman Files Balloon Lawsuit Against Napa Firm

NAPA - A man said to be a pioneer of Napa Valley hot air ballooning is being sued by a Texas woman who claims she was injured after a rough landing.

Robert Barbarick, the founder of Balloons Above the Valley, was descending a hired craft in February 2014 when an alleged hard landing took place, throwing passenger Melanie Rodriguez “out onto the ground and into the way of the oncoming basket,” according to the lawsuit.

Rodriguez, from El Paso, Texas, filed the lawsuit in Napa County Superior Court January 8 against Balloons Above the Valley, according to the Napa Valley Register.

The Register says Rodriguez claims to have sustained “great physical and mental pain and suffering,” with injuries to her “neck, shoulders, arms, back, hips, legs and feet.”

Thomas Chesus, a Balloons Above the Valley representative, told the newspaper that Rodriguez did fly with the company, but said he couldn’t comment regarding the alleged incident.

Chesus noted that passengers must sign a passenger awareness form before taking off which explains the risks of hot air ballooning.

-image via ShutterStock