An American Airlines passenger is suing, saying she was burned by a coffee pot that fell into her lap from a trolley during turbulence

09.09.2024 - 15:24 / insider.com

An American Airlines passenger is suing the airline over claims she was burned by a coffee pot during turbulence.

Gina Mason's lawsuit was first filed in a state court last month but was refiled last Thursday in a Michigan District Court.

The complaint says she was flying from Baltimore to Detroit in February when the plane encountered turbulence.

It adds that a flight attendant then parked a service trolley in the aisle before taking a seat. However, as the plane was hit by turbulence, a coffee pot on the trolley came loose and fell onto Mason's lap, the suit says.

The suit says Mason sustained first- and second-degree burns to her legs, thighs, and genital area. It also alleges that the incident caused her to suffer from anxiety and depression.

It asks for "a comprehensive and open-ended amount of damages in excess of $75,000."

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American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside US working hours.

In a similar incident alleged in a July lawsuit, a JetBlue passenger said they were scalded by hot tea during turbulence and asked for $1.5 million in damages.

The dangers of turbulence have been under increased scrutiny since a Singapore Airlines passenger died on board a flight in May.

Last month, Korean Air stopped serving instant noodles to economy passengers due to fears about turbulence."This decision is part of proactive safety measures in response to increased turbulence, aimed at preventing burn accidents," the airline said.

Korean Air has also said that the number of turbulence incidents doubled in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2019.

Turbulence appears to be getting more frequent and more severe due to the climate crisis.

In a 2023 study, researchers at the University of Reading found that turbulence was getting more common over the North Atlantic. It said that over a typical point, the most severe type of clear air turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020.