Can hot tea served on a plane
cause back pain?
A cup of tea is a welcome relief when flying in economy
class! In the cramped conditions, there's always the risk
of a spill by the flight attendant when they pass the cup of
hot tea to a passenger. Spills can scald because the
temperature of the tea needs to be above 60 degrees Celsius
to make the tea palatable.
In a recent decision of the NSW Supreme Court, hot tea
spilled onto the passenger's side. She jumped up and twisted
to avoid it burning her. She said she experienced pain in
the lower back, as a result.
The court rejected her back injury claim, on the medical
evidence which stated that the tea incident did not
aggravate her pre-existing back problems.
The result might have been different had the passenger's
injuries been as a result of scalding, which can blister and
need a skin graft if they are 3rd degree burns.
For more information
click here for a full report Airline
avoids liability for passenger injury from a hot tea spill |