A quick flight became a long recovery, as the airplane did not have the time it takes to recover from injury from an airplane crash.
About 30 minutes after taking off, everything had been normal. The female passenger in the center seat was finally able to relax and remove her glasses. At that very moment, this relaxation time was over.
A passenger from another row opened the overhead storage compartment of this female passenger’s seat. Unfortunately, due to the force of gravity, the box (containing a gift) fell directly onto her right eyelid.
Panic to Pain
Immediately upon feeling the impact of the gift, the amount of pain inflicted by that box was sharp, shocking, and impossible to ignore. The female passenger was too afraid to open her injured right eye. The vision in her injured eye was blurred, and shortly thereafter the blurred vision turned into blood running down her face. The flight attendants quickly assisted her with ice packs and alcohol swabs. It was at this time that she realised what had fallen on her was a boxed gift from the overhead storage compartment.
That was the beginning of what seemed like an eternity of a painful flight to the female passenger. Within minutes the female passenger’s eyelid began swelling, and within seconds she was unable to control the twitching in her eyelid. The next thing the female passenger experienced was dizziness. Finally, all movement became so difficult for the female passenger because of the proximity of the injury to her right eye.
Overhead storage compartments may seem harmless, but one loose item inside of an overhead storage compartment can create a painful flight for a passenger.
After she landed in Singapore she did not go sightseeing or go home, she went directly to the hospital where they found a four-centimeter cut on her eyelid. The doctors put her on medical leave for three days, which she still needed a week later when the pain from her migraines started keeping her awake and needing more medical leave.
Two months later the scar has still not completely disappeared and the doctors have told her it will probably never completely go away.
There was more than one party involved in this situation, and the men who opened the overhead compartments were not responsible for the missed item; according to both parties the men that opened the compartments should have seen the gift box. The airline said the injuries to the woman occurred because of another passenger and therefore they would not offer her compensation.
All parties involved claimed everyone else was at fault; no one was willing to accept responsibility.
Legal Route That Was a No-Go
The passenger consulted an attorney for advice. In technical terms, the responsibility for the accident rested with the flight passenger who opened the above baggage compartment; nevertheless, from a practical standpoint, pursuing this case would not be easy. There were jurisdiction problems with a foreign national who was a passenger on board.
Details of Flight Incident
During a flight from Qingdao, China, to Singapore via Scoot Airlines, the passenger was seated in the center seat location of 13B. The irony of it all is that this passenger was injured while simply taking a rest, a very harmless thing to do on an airplane.
Scoot Airlines’ Official Statement to Passenger
Scoot Airlines investigators have stated that their personnel were aware of the situation when it occurred, and that Scoot Airlines personnel on board contacted their medical personnel on the ground following the landing of the aircraft. While it was confirmed that passenger safety is of utmost concern to Scoot Airlines, no compensation was provided.
Overhead cabinets should not just be considered a storage place; correctly securing your items to prevent an overhead cabinet from becoming a danger can lead to very serious injuries. Just a single moment’s excitement could lead to very serious consequences; not only during air flight, but also well beyond your air travel. In many instances, your injury will continue to affect your life following the time of landing.
