Couple Sues United Airlines After Daughter is Burned by Hot Meal

An Israeli couple has filed a federal personal injury lawsuit against United Airlines after their daughter was burned by a hot meal that was served to her aboard the flight. According to the lawsuit, the couple was on a trip from Tel Aviv on July 20, 2022 when they requested a child’s meal. The plaintiffs claim that the flight attendant handed the father the hot meal and the mother placed the tray in front of her daughter on a fold-down tray table. The lawsuit alleges that the folding tray table was defective and slanted downward toward the child’s seat. The meal slid off the tray table and into the child’s lap. The suit says that the food was “unreasonably hot” and caused the girl to suffer severe burns. The suit alleges that attendants on the plane were unable to provide adequate medical care after the child was burned because they didn’t have “reasonable medical supplies to treat burn injuries.”

Elements of negligence 

The plaintiffs are alleging three counts of negligence against the defendant, United Airlines. First, they allege that the table tray was defective and slanted downward which caused the hot tray of food to slip into the girl’s lap. Second, they allege that the food was served at an unreasonably hot temperature and not fit for human consumption. Third, they allege that the airline failed to provide adequate medical care because it was unprepared to treat burn injuries.

As a result of the alleged negligence, the plaintiff suffered severe burn injuries that led to permanent scarring according to the lawsuit.

Damages 

The suit is seeking more than $75,000 in damages. According to the lawsuit, the girl suffered burn injuries that resulted in permanent scarring. She now has to suffer the humiliation of having scarring on her body for the rest of her life. In personal injury lawsuits, mutilation injuries are handsomely compensated. They can decrease the quality of a person’s life, impact their self-confidence, and cause body image problems later in life.

The defense 

United Airlines has yet to issue a response to this lawsuit. They likely will not until litigation is underway and the matter is set to go before a jury. They may try to blame the parents for causing the tray of food to slide into their own daughter’s lap. The parents had control over the tray when it slid into the daughter’s lap, so this seems to be a likely defense to the allegations. The parents will counterclaim that it was the tray that caused the food to slide into the girl’s lap. A jury will likely have to hash out the matter if the case doesn’t settle.

Talk to an Oakland, CA Burn Injury Lawyer Today 

Venardi Zurada represents the interests of those who have been injured due to another party’s negligence. Call our Oakland personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.

Source:

nj.com/essex/2024/02/girl-6-severely-burned-by-meal-on-united-airlines-flight-to-newark-lawsuit-says.html