Indiana Woman Sues Airline Company Over Hot Coffee Spill

A Hendricks County woman has filed a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines for personal injury damage, including burns to her legs, scarring, emotional distress, lost time, medical expenses, and anticipated future medical expenses, caused by hot coffee that was spilled on her. The lawsuit, filed last week, seeks almost $170,000 from the airline company. (WKW was not involved in this case.) 

Similarities to Liebeck Hot Coffee Case

This lawsuit reminds us of the infamous 1992 lawsuit against McDonald’s, when 79-year-old Stella Liebeck of Alburquerque, New Mexico suffered third-degree burns over 6% of her body when hot coffee was spilled on her lap. Ms. Liebeck was hospitalized for eight days, during which she underwent skin grafts. After McDonald’s refused to pay the $20,000 in medical bills she sought, a jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages and $2.7 million in punitive damages.

We don’t know the severity of the Indianapolis woman’s injuries, but we’re assuming they’re not as significant as Ms. Liebeck’s.

A Case of Negligence

The lawsuit claims the flight attendant was negligent in spilling the coffee. What is negligence? Negligence doesn’t mean intentional conduct. Instead, it is defined as actions that are out of the ordinary or unreasonable, and if that is the case, then the injured person can bring a claim against the person was was negligent.

Contact an Aviation Accident Attorney Today

Two of the attorneys at WKW are licensed pilots. Both pilots have flight experience in Boeing 727s and private aircrafts as well as commercial licenses, flight engineer certificates, and instrument and multi-engine aircraft ratings.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of an aviation accident, contact the Indianapolis Aviation Accident Attorneys of Wilson Kehoe Winingham. The lawyers at WKW can help you with the next steps in pursuing an aviation accident case. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out an online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

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