Tahjana Lewis is suing JetBlue after a harrowing incident on her flight from Orlando, Florida, to Hartford, Connecticut. Lewis claims she endured serious burns after the allegedly spilled, scalding tea all over her during turbulence when the “fasten seat belt” sign was already lit—a situation she considered unsafe to be serving hot beverages in. She alleged that the tea was momentarily too hot and dangerous when offered to her co-passenger. With it, she suffered painful burns on her chest, legs, right arm, and other parts of the body. Well, Lewis is demanding $1.5 million damages from the airline company for the incident.
According to court action, Lewis is suing the airline for failing “to adhere to proper protocols for the preparation and service of hot beverages during in-flight service. They negligently and carelessly served passengers hot beverages. They failed to provide for the plaintiff reasonably safe travelling conditions and properly administer first aid to the plaintiff after she was injured,” according to Fox Business.
Edward A. Jazlowiecki, Lewis’ attorney, told USA Today, “That’s something they shouldn’t have done. This is a serious issue for them. They didn’t do much for her. They were very cavalier about it.” Lewis was traveling with her 5-year-old daughter, who was on the JetBlue flight and witnessed the incident. She naturally found it very traumatic to see what happened to her mother. The psychological aftereffects of the sustaining injury include mental anguish, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Her attorney also provided that she might have to undergo a skin transplant to cure her injuries, some of which “will be permanent in nature and/or permanently disabling.” The burns, according to the lawsuit, have impacted her ability to work or lead a normal daily life.
News of this accident brings back memory of similar lawsuits over hot-beverage injuries in the past. Just last year, an 85-year-old woman filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s after she was severely scalded by a coffee cup with its improperly sealed lid. Reports say that staff from the restaurant did not offer any assistance after the incident that has caused both first and second-degree burns.
