It has hardly escaped anyone remotely interested in aviation that on February 20th, a United Airlines Boeing 777 with registration N772UA suffered a spectacular engine failure shortly after takeoff from Denver, Colorado.

The 777-200’s right-hand Pratt & Whitney PW4077 engine caught fire, causing debris from the cowling to scatter over the city’s suburbs, fortunately without causing injury to life or limb. Thankfully, the aircraft landed safely with no harm to any of its 231 passengers or ten members of crew.

However, that does not mean no damage was done, says a class-action lawsuit filed by a passenger onboard Flight UA328, submitted to the United States District Court of Colorado on March 7th. The plaintiff’s legal representation says in the filing that passengers were left to ‘fear for their lives’ for 20 minutes, causing foreseeable and severe emotional distress.

Distress, which attorney Jonathon Corbett claims is a direct result of United failing to ‘properly inspect and maintain its aircraft.’ The lawsuit, seen by Simple Flying, states that the plaintiff, a resident of Carmel, Indiana, and others onboard suffered physical symptoms including nausea, symptoms of shock and, following the flight, insomnia.

“No one should have to live through that as a result of an airline’s refusal to take proper care of its planes and its customers, and I look forward to forcing United to make it right as best is possible,” Mr Corbett told Fox News on Monday.