Faulty overhead luggage compartment leads to compensation
An airline passenger has received compensation after sustaining injuries when a bottle of whisky fell on her face from an overhead luggage compartment.
The woman, who is in her forties, had been returning from a family holiday in Dubai, when the incident happened. As a result of the accident, the woman sustained cuts and bruising to her face, as well as damage to her teeth.
Speaking about the incident, the woman said: “I was sat in my seat when another passenger started to put some luggage in the overhead compartment above me. Unfortunately, as he did this a full size bottle of whiskey fell from the overhead compartment and struck me.
"The bottle was heavy and it was very painful when it hit me in the face. My upper lip was bruised, cut and swollen and there was a lot of blood. After the initial shock I noticed that my front teeth were also causing me pain and had become loose."
Nicola Simpson, a personal injury lawyer, who specialises with holiday claims and working with a no win no fee solicitors firm said: “When she saw the dental expert, he told her the teeth could be saved but only through a painful root canal operation. This procedure leads the affected teeth to darken more quickly, and she now requires bleaching treatment."
The woman decided to seek for compensation and took her case to court, where she was successfully awarded with an accident claim of £10,000 for the injuries that she sustained.
Updated on 03/09/2010