Passengers with spinal and brain injuries could seek eight-figure compensation, one lawyer said, because the scope of harm from a Singapore Airlines flight that encountered extreme turbulence becomes clearer.
Previous payouts for similarly serious injuries “have easily changed into seven-figure and sometimes eight-figure claims,” Peter Neenan, a partner specializing in aviation disputes at London-based Stewarts, said in an interview.
Doctors revealed on Thursday that dozens of individuals had suffered traumatic, potentially life-changing injuries. Some patients have experienced paralysis, and 22 patients are being treated for spine and spinal cord injuries. Another six are being treated for skull and brain injuries. A 73-year-old Briton died of a suspected heart attack.
229, the crew and passengers of Flight SQ321 were violently shaken by sudden and extreme turbulence over Myanmar because the Boeing 777 was en route from London to Singapore, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon.
Under the Montreal Convention, which governs aviation rights and compensation on international flights within the event of death or injury to passengers in consequence of an accident, Singapore Airlines is responsible for as much as $170,000 per person.
However, there could also be a possibility of more damage occurring.
The level of compensation can only be determined based on the outcomes of an ongoing investigation into the flight, which could take years, Neenan said.
Legal arguments would necessarily include elements similar to flight planning, the degree and amount of weather information obtained, and the actions of passengers and crew during and within the moments leading as much as the turbulent episode.
They can also bear in mind whether or not passengers were wearing seat belts on the time.
As of Friday, 48 people were in three hospitals across Bangkok.
Following this week’s incident, Singapore Airlines has already made some changes to its procedures.
In an announcement, the airline said that after the seat belt warning is activated, on-board meals will now be suspended, in addition to the dishing out of hot drinks. Crew members will even return to their seats and fasten their seat belts.
