Parents sue Aer Lingus after child ‘permanently impaired’ by hot tea spill

The parents of a ten-year-old girl who was injured when a hot cup of tea spilled on her during a flight are suing Aer Lingus for negligence.  The girl, who cannot be named, was travelling on a transatlantic flight from Dublin to Orlando Florida when the incident occurred one hour before landing. In court papers seen by the Irish Independent, the parents claim the child, described as a "a successful amateur competitive surfer" suffered permanent scarring and disfigurement when a cup of tea on her tray "came out of the cup holder and came off the tray" pouring out onto her upper thighs and lower torso. They also claim there was no medical assistance available to her on landing. The family believe the accident could have been avoided if Aer Lingus served the tea "at a safe temperature" and claim the airline failed to warn passengers of the "known dangers and the excessive and unreasonable temperature of the hot tea".