Posted: May 30th, 2019
A young girl (8) who experienced second-degree burns after a cup of hot chocolate fell onto her lap and scalded her when she was on Ryanair flight has settled her High Court personal injury compensation action for €150,000.
When the accident happened, U.S. citizen Sriya Venkata Neti was travelling from Rome to Krakow on Ryanair flight with her parents. When she was attempting to drink the hot chocolate some of the beverage spilled and the paper cup fell on to her knee.
The court was provided with a medical report that said the hot liquid pooled on the seat leading to significant burning pain and the Sriya’s mother had to take off the young girl’s clothes after undoing her belt. Sriya’s skin was burned, according to her mother, and blisters were forming in other areas. The child was also crying due to the suffering she was feeling.
Sriya Venkata Neti, who is now 11-years-old and living in Freemont, California, submitted the legal action through her father Srinivas Neti against Ryanair in relation to the incident that occurred on the Rome Krakow flight on June 25, 2016. Ryanair refuted all the claims that were submitted.
Hugh Mohan SC, acting on behalf of Sriya and her father, advised the court that this was a very out-of-the-ordinary incident as, under the Warsaw Convention, if a passenger on an international flight can display that bodily injuries were inflicted due to an accident, an unexpected or unusual event that is external to the passenger’s control, then the passenger is not necessary to show negligence or fault as against the airline.
An affidavit provided to the court by the child’s father stated that that the scarring has now improved. In addition it said that Sriya has made a good recovery and the condition of her injuries has improved.
Mr Justice Kevin Cross approved the Ryanair injury compensation award.
Categories: Child Claims
