Boy scalded by spilt tea during flight settles case for €65,000

A High Court judge has approved a €65,000 settlement for a teenage boy left with a permanent scar on his right thigh after hot tea spilt on him during a flight.

Emre Karakaya, of Ursuline Crescent, Waterford, claimed he was scalded and suffered burns when a cup was knocked out of his hand due to a mishap by a member of cabin crew.

Emre, then aged 13, was travelling from Dublin to Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight at the time of the accident on July 22nd, 2017.

Now aged 17, Emre, through his mother Leeanne Karakaya, sued Turkish Airlines Inc over the accident.

In an affidavit, Ms Karakaya said her son had attended a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon who advised that he had sustained scald injuries to his right thigh following the accident.

Permanent scars

The surgeon said the area had healed with dressings alone over a period of around three weeks but, as a result of the incident, he had been left with permanent noticeable scars.

Sara Phelan SC, for Emre, told Mr Justice Garrett Simons on Monday that her side considered the €65,000 settlement offer from the defendant to be reasonable. Her side had valued the claim at between €55,000 and €75,000 and was recommending the offer for reasons including that if the case went to hearing, it would be dealt with under the new guidelines governing personal injury awards.

Mr Justice Simons said Emre had suffered a very nasty burn which had happily resolved but a significant scar was still noticeable.

The judge noted the case had been valued between €55,000 to €75,000 and the offer of €65,000 was “slap bang” in the middle of that range.

Having regard to the potential impact of the new guidelines on personal injury awards, the boy was unlikely to get more if the case went to trial, the judge said.

There must also be some risk he would get less because of certain issues raised, he added.