A couple has filed a lawsuit against United Airlines, alleging their 6-year-old daughter was ”burned and disfigured” after a hot lunch provided by a flight attendant fell into her lap on a journey to Newark. According to the Independent, the incident occurred in July 2022, while Michal Fefferman and her daughter, O.F., were flying from Tel Aviv to Newark. The lawsuit, filed last week, claims that a flight attendant brought Ms Fefferman a hot dinner, which she placed in front of her kid on a fold-down tray table. However, the dinner tray malfunctioned, and it slid off onto the 6-year-old’s lap. Her parents claim that the dish was ”unreasonably hot” and caused her significant burn injuries.
”Although the meal tray should have provided a level surface so that food and/or drinks like the meal tray at issue could be placed on them safely, this particular tray table was defective, slanting downward toward the seat where O.F. sat. The food contents on O.F.’s meal tray were unreasonably hot and caused O.F. to suffer sever(e) burn injuries,” the lawsuit states.
According to the lawsuit, the girl “suffered in extreme discomfort” for the balance of the 12-hour flight because the airline lacked the necessary medical supplies for burn treatment.
Parents sue airline citing negligence and lack of safety measures
The parents have charged the airline of carelessness, stating that the food was not served at a safe temperature, that the staff did not maintain, inspect, or repair tray tables, and that medical equipment was not available. The suit also claims the youngster was scarred, disfigured, humiliated, and emotionally distressed.
The lawsuit seeks ”past and future non-economic damages for her injuries, burns, disfigurement, scarring, discoloration, neurological deficits, impairment, pain, suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, inconvenience, humiliation, embarrassment, and the loss of ability to enjoy her life, which she has experienced in the past and/or will continue to experience in the future.”
The parents have demanded a jury trial for United Airlines to compensate medical fees and cover damages totaling more than $75,000. United Airlines said it could not comment on pending lawsuits.