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The family is now suing the airline for $75,000 for compensatory damages

A couple has filed a lawsuit against United Airlines, claiming their 6-year-old daughter was ”burned and disfigured” after a hot meal served by a flight attendant spilled into her lap during a flight to Newark. According to the Independent, the incident happened in July 2022 when Michal Fefferman and her daughter, who goes by O.F., were flying from Tel Aviv to Newark.

The lawsuit, which was filed last week, claims that a flight attendant handed Ms Fefferman a hot meal and she placed the tray in front of her daughter on a fold-down tray table. However, the meal tray was defective and slid off onto the 6-year-old’s lap. Her parents allege that the food was ”unreasonably hot” and caused severe burn injuries to her. 

”Although the meal tray should have provided a level surface so that food and/or drinks like the meal tray at issue could be placed on them safely, this particular tray table was defective, slanting downward toward the seat where O.F. sat. The food contents on O.F.’s meal tray were unreasonably hot and caused O.F. to suffer sever(e) burn injuries,” the lawsuit states.

The case further states that the girl “suffered in extreme discomfort” for the remainder of the 12-hour flight as there were not adequate medical supplies for the treatment of burns on the plane.

The parents have accused the airline of negligence, claiming they failed to serve the food at a safe temperature, adding that the staff failed to maintain, inspect, and repair tray tables, and did not provide access to medical equipment. The suit also alleges the child suffered scarring, disfigurement, humiliation, and emotional distress.

The lawsuit seeks ”past and future non-economic damages for her injuries, burns, disfigurement, scarring, discoloration, neurological deficits, impairment, pain, suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, inconvenience, humiliation, embarrassment, and the loss of ability to enjoy her life, which she has experienced in the past and/or will continue to experience in the future.”

The parents have requested a jury trial for airlines to compensate medical costs and cover the damages of over $75,000.

United Airlines said they cannot comment on pending litigation.