An American passenger is suing British Airways for more than 50,000 pounds after suffering a broken leg in a fall while disembarking from a flight at London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
The Claim Against British Airways
KC, representing Phillips, claims cabin crew provided “minimal crowd control or direction” as passengers descended what were described as damp steps, resulting in passengers, including Phillips, to be “jostled and knocked” during disembarkation.
The claim alleges Phillips was knocked off balance amid the crowd and fell, causing the injuries.
Deal said the claimant would not have fallen had the staircase not been crowded with passengers:
“Had the steps not been full of jostling passengers, the claimant would not have been knocked off balance.”
The claim further alleges that British Airways failed to:
“avoid or materially reduce the risk of passengers jostling each other on overcrowded steps”
and
“otherwise failed in all the circumstances to provide reasonably safe air transport services”.
Following the accident, Phillips was taken to hospital, where she underwent surgery before returning to the United States several days later.
According to the claim, she continues to experience pain despite undergoing treatment:
“The claimant underwent therapy and treatment but continues to experience pain, some limitation of movement and loss of amenity affecting aspects of her daily life over and above her pre-accident symptoms. Her ability to run her home was impaired. The claimant has some psychological distress as a result of her ongoing pain and immobility. Her symptoms are expected to be permanent.”
British Airways Denies Liability
British Airways has rejected the allegations, arguing that Phillips’ fall was not caused by conditions during disembarkation.
In its defence, the airline contends that Phillips:
“descended the steps without looking, or adequately looking”, and that the accident was most likely caused by her “simply losing her footing”.
Christopher Loxton, representing British Airways, stated that passengers were not descending the steps in an “unusual or unexpected manner” and denied that the staircase was damp.
The airline further argued that it was “not normal operating procedure” for crowd-control measures to be implemented or for cabin crew to direct passengers while disembarking. It also added that staff did not see “any disorderly or unusual passenger disembarkation”.
Loxton said:
“It is the defendant’s case that the likely cause of the claimant’s fall was simply paying insufficient attention to the way in which she was descending the steps and that she lost her footing and fell down the same steps.”
While the airline denies liability for the incident and her injury, it has offered to pay Ms Phillips 6,987 pounds for her medical expenses.
The claim has yet to be heard by the court.
