SEATAC, Wash. — Two women suffered separate, but similar, on-the-job injuries at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport that changed both their lives forever.

“It's okay to be emotional. I'm still emotional. And it's been four years for me. It's just hard. It's hard to talk about,” said Alyah Payne.

Four years ago, Payne was driving a baggage tug for Alaska Airlines. On a blind corner, her tug collided with another. Her leg was crushed and had to be amputated.

“My whole life changed within a couple of minutes,” Payne said. 

A year and a half later, Tia Valentine was riding on a tug at the same airport. Security footage shows it navigating through orange cones before making a sharp turn to avoid a van. That’s when she was thrown from the tug.

“While making that turn, I had fell out. I hit my head and then my leg followed and then got wrapped up in the tire,” Valentine said. Valentine's right leg was mangled, leaving her permanently disabled.

'Malfunctioning' equipment

Valentine said she was wearing a seatbelt and following all safety protocols. A Port of Seattle Police Report noted that the tug’s seatbelt locking mechanism was "malfunctioning."

“It makes me emotional seeing people do what I used to be able to. So I just try to avoid being put in that situation,” Valentine said. 

Valentine has now spent nearly three years in physical therapy, learning to stand and then how to walk again.

Both women blame the Port of Seattle for this lapse in safety.

“They didn't really care and they allowed another injury to happen after mine,” said Payne. 

Valentine said the focus is not on wellbeing. 

“It's not about safety first. It's about getting their flights out or not catching delays,” Valentine said. 

Lawsuits, settlements and a push for accountability

Valentine filed a lawsuit against the Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines and the contractor she worked for. This comes a little over a year after Payne secured the biggest settlement in history against the Port for the loss of her leg; her settlement was $11 million.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is not independently named in the lawsuit because the airport is operated by the Port of Seattle. 

“Are they going to make worker safety a priority like it should have been after me? This shouldn't keep happening," Payne said. 

Alaska Airlines said the company does not comment on pending litigation. When asked for comment, the Port of Seattle said it is reviewing the litigation. 

Attorney Ray Bishop said these safety issues have been a longstanding problem at the Port.

“The Port of Seattle has just found a way to make these types of incidents affordable. They're willing to injure these people and just pay and move on," Bishop said. "We're trying to find a way to make this stop once and for all.”

Ray has spent the past 10 years representing injured workers like Payne and Valentine. In a different 2015 incident with a record $40-million verdict, Bishop argued the Port bears responsibility for these accidents and even taking the case to the state’s supreme court twice.

“We've seen too many of these cases. They're completely preventable,” Bishop said. 

In Valentine’s case, Bishop said the tug wasn’t even equipped with the original seat. It had a replacement seat —already broken and tilted — and no functioning seatbelt.

He said simple safety changes, like doors or a cab, could prevent tragedies in the future.

Pattern of injuries

Port of Seattle data reveals a troubling pattern: between April of 2021 and January of 2024, there were approximately 75 accidents involving tugs on the tarmac at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Employees were injured in 40% of the cases.

“With the proper safety equipment, we could stop this from happening in the future," said Valentine. "I don't want to see anybody else go through what I've been through."