United Airlines Sued over In-Flight Coffee Spill

By Robin Chang

Published on January 07, 2008

Blanca and Jose Ramirez filed suit in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. The incident occurred on a Orlando-to-Los Angeles-bound flight in January 2006, which caused second-degree burns to Mrs. Ramirez's inner thighs that required medical treatment. Blanca Ramirez is seeking $17,000 in compensation for her injuries while Jose Ramirez is seeking an additional $10,000 for loss of companionship and affection.

The Ramirez’ lawyer, Raul Granados, stated that because the spilling of drinks is not uncommon during long airplane flights, it should have been reasonably foreseeable to United Airlines that an accident similar to the one that occurred was possible. Granados claimed that because the airline knew of the reasonable risks involved with serving drinks while the plane was in the air, United Airlines should be held responsible for Mrs. Ramirez’s injuries because they elected to serve scalding hot coffee in flight.

United Airlines was not immediately available for comment. In addition to compensation for damages, the lawsuit is also seeking the costs for filing the suit as well as other relief.

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