Lauren Scruggs, Model Who Walked Into Plane Propeller, Sues Over Incident

Lauren Scruggs, the model who walked into a plane's propeller during a sight-seeing trip in December, is suing the airplane's insurers and the plane's pilot, the Dallas Morning News reports.

23-year-old Scruggs had her left eye removed after the accident. In January, the plane's pilot, Curt Richmond, admitted to leaving the propeller moving after landing, but claims he warned Scruggs as she exited the aircraft.

According to a report released by the NTSB, Richmond says he "leaned out of his seat and placed his right hand and arm in front of her to divert her away from the front of the airplane and the propeller." But, after hearing someone yell "STOP, STOP," he shut down the engine and saw her lying on the ground.

Now, Scruggs and her father, Jeff, are suing Aggressive Insurance Services, the company that carries the insurance for the planes, the Dallas Morning News reports. The suit, filed on Monday, claims that the insurance company "verbally offered" to pay Scruggs $200,000 following the accident (which is the policy limit per passenger).

The lawsuit claims that Scruggs wasn't technically a passenger as "she was not in the aircraft or getting in or out of it at the time of the incident" so she should be able to receive more money.

According to Courthouse News, the suit claims:

Ms. Scruggs, in contrast, takes the literal and logical view of the term "getting out of" the aircraft, and contends that she was no longer a "passenger" because she had completed her exit from the aircraft prior to the time of the incident and was physically located on the tarmac when the incident happened. Until struck by the propeller, she was not in physical contact with the aircraft after her exit. It'll be up to the court to define "passenger."

Read the full suit here.

Since the accident, Scruggs has been to the gym and even taken a ski trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado.