Girl scalded by boiling water on Aer Lingus flight gets €23,000 payout

High Court reporter

A young child who was scalded by boiling water on an Aer Lingus flight has settled her High Court action for €23,000.

The girl was seven years old and travelling with her mother on a flight from Shannon Airport to Lanzarote when the accident happened on November 30th, 2019.

It was claimed the accident occurred after a cup of tea was ordered and the cup of boiling water was being put on a tray.

The little girl suffered a burn injury to her right arm.

Roisin Loughnane, now aged 11, from Birr, Co Offaly, had through her mother, Caroline Mitchell, sued Aer Lingus.

She was on the 12.30pm flight from Shannon Airport when it was claimed she sustained injury when a cup of boiling water being served by an air hostess spilled on her.

It was claimed there was a failure to protect the child from a foreseeable risk and a failure to have any proper or adequate system for the service of a cup of boiling water on the aircraft.

It was further claimed that the cup of water was served at a temperature likely to scald and it was caused to spill on the child.

At the time cold running water was put on the burn and she was given first aid on the flight. On December 9th the child was brought to her doctor and later examined in hospital.

A medical report to the court said the burn injury caused blistering and pain but it was noted that it was a superficial injury and healed well.

Mr Justice Garrett Simons approved the settlement.