The High Court has heard details of an injury claim by an Aer Lingus flight attendant, who suffered physical and emotional injuries due to a rough landing.
The injury claim by an Aer Lingus flight attendant was made by thirty-three year old Cassandra Reddin from Ratoath in County Meath who, on 19th November 2009, was a member of the flight crew returning to Dublin from Malaga in Spain.
According to the details of the claim, the Airbus 320 started swaying as it approached Dublin Airport and descended at a speed much faster than normal. When the plane landed, it bounced three times before coming to a stop much further along the runway than it normally would.
Due to the force at which the plane hit the runway, Cassandra claimed that she suffered soft tissue injuries to her neck and back. She also claims that she feared for her life – believing that the plane was not going to stop before the end of the runway and crash.
Cassandra applied to the Injuries Board for an assessment of her claim, but Aer Lingus denied consent for the assessment to proceed and Cassandra was issued with an authorisation to pursue the injury claim by an Aer Lingus flight attendant through the courts.
The hearing started yesterday at the High Court, where Mr Justice Michael Hanna was told that the rough landing caused the overhead luggage lockers to open and luggage to fall on top of passengers. “There was a degree of chaos and stress on board” Cassandra told the judge.
Cassandra went on to explain that the rough landing had caused her to suffer both physical and emotional injuries. In addition to her soft tissue injuries, Cassandra claimed to have suffered shock due to the incident and had cried the whole evening when she had got home.
The airline continues to contest the injury claim by an Aer Lingus flight attendant and denies Cassandra´s allegations that the co-pilot was negligent in failing to adequately supervise the landing of flight EI582. The hearing at the High Court continues today.