Passenger left ‘scarred’

Hope Island woman sues airline over tea spill

A GOLD Coast woman who claims her bottom was permanently scarred when a Hawaiian Airlines attendant spilled a cup of hot tea over her lap has sued for damages.

Dimity Plaister, 47, from Hope Island, filed the suit against the airline in the Federal Court in Brisbane.

The claim, dated April 10, says the accident occurred on flight HA444 from Brisbane to Honolulu on April 13, 2017, when the airline attendant knocked over the cup of black tea in a cardboard cup into Ms Plaister’s lap.

“The tea was scalding hot,” the claim states.

Ms Plaister said she immediately alerted the cabin crew that she had been scalded by the tea, but she was not offered medical treatment or assistance to dry her lap or ease her pain.

She claimed she suffered burns to her hip, thigh and buttocks, and had permanent scarring and an aggravation of anxiety and depression.

Ms Plaister said she could not enjoy her 10-day holiday in Honolulu due to her burns.

She said she had ordered the tea about 11pm when the crew commenced the meals and beverage service.

The attendant passed the tea to Ms Plaister, who put it on the tray table in front of her, the claims states.

“In the process of passing a carton of milk to (Ms Plaister) for her tea, the cabin crew member knocked over the cup of black tea into her lap,” the claim states.

Ms Plaister is claiming damages under the Montreal Convention, the global treaty that governs airlines’ liability to passengers on international flights.

The case was mentioned briefly in court yesterday, where Justice Roger Derrington adjourned it until May 10.

Hawaiian Airlines has not filed a defence, and it has until May 7 to tell Ms Plaister whether it intends to contest service of the claim.

THE TEA WAS SCALDING HOT