Alerts Sign-up
Southwest Airlines faces legal action following an incident involving a hot coffee spill on a four-year-old passenger during a flight from Florida to Salt Lake City, Utah. The lawsuit, filed by Ryan Wong and Kamrie Wong, alleges that a flight attendant accidentally spilled boiling-hot coffee on their son, causing burn injuries. The spill reportedly occurred on September 19, 2024, during a layover in Chicago, where paramedics attended to the injured boy.
Court documents accessed by Reuters reveal that the child screamed in pain, expressing that the liquid was "so hot." Further complications arose when a Southwest gate agent inadvertently caused more pain by prompting him to sit on his injured buttocks. The Wongs accuse the flight crew of not offering apologies or sufficient medical care. They claim their son now experiences trauma and embarrassment at school, has permanent scarring, and fears flying. The lawsuit, filed in Chicago federal court, seeks unspecified damages for negligence. Southwest Airlines declined to comment due to the ongoing litigation.
This incident with Southwest Airlines echoes a similar case last year when Delta Air Lines was sued for a hot coffee spill that caused severe burns to a passenger. Despite requesting medical assistance, the victim, also a flight attendant, reportedly faced delayed responses from Delta’s crew. Legal actions against airlines often arise, with past cases involving operational disruptions and false representations.
