A Ryanair flight between Dublin and Zadar, Croatia had a sudden loss of cabin pressure forcing the pilots to rapidly descend the aircraft. Oxygen masks were released during the incident. As a result of this sudden incident, 33 of the 189 passengers were hospitalized in Frankfurt where the plane landed. Some of the passengers had blood oozing from their ears.
An investigation into the air incident by the German Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation described the incident at the ‘serious’ level.
The incident resulted in several lawsuits against Ryanair of which the first case has recently been settled for approximately €40,000 without any admission of liability.
The plaintiff in this case was an Irish woman who claimed to have suffered severe pain to her ears and shock to her entire nervous system. It was claimed that she lost her job because of absences from work, and she had been prescribed anti-anxiety medication by her doctor. Her ear injury was diagnosed as barotrauma to her right ear which required steroid treatment. It was also claimed that the accident caused her anxiety and stress and that she developed symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder and had to attend counselling.
This is an interesting case that was listed for hearing in the Dublin Circuit Court. Judge Sarah Berkeley was informed the case had been settled. While a judgment was not delivered, there are other cases due to be heard from the same accident and this case sets a useful guideline for these cases but also injuries arising from in-flight accidents.
If you have any queries regarding airline injuries please contact us by phone at 061 501100, email Thomas Dowling, litigation partner at [email protected] or get a call back by completing our contact form so we can provide you with further information or advice.
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