A seatbelt is the only reason Cuong Tran is alive after a door panel fell off of the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737. The incident came on Jan. 5, as the plane was flying over Portland.

As the door detached from the plane, Tran instantly had the suction ripped off of his shoes and his leg injured. Tran believes that the seatbelt he was wearing is why he is still alive and well today.

A lawsuit has now been filed on behalf of seven of the passengers. Timothy Loranger, who is the trial attorney for the case, stated in an NBC News article that “Our clients — and likely every passenger on that flight— suffered unnecessary trauma due to the failure of Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, and Alaska Airlines to ensure that the aircraft was in a safe and airworthy condition.”

A preliminary investigation was held by the National Transportation Safety Board. While conducting the investigation, the board found that bolts had not been installed on the door plug that came loose.

When asked for a comment on the situation by NBC, Boeing airlines had “No comment.” Since the incident, Boeing has been slammed in Senate committee meetings and had a criminal investigation opened by the Department of Justice.