Burns and Food Service Injuries

Airplane cabins are cramped, and bulky food service carts often move through narrow aisles with little room to spare. When flight attendants rush or fail to follow safety procedures, passengers can get seriously hurt. Hot coffee spills, dropped trays, and loose food carts have caused burns, bruises, and even long-term nerve damage. If you were injured during in-flight service, a skilled airline injury lawyer can help you understand your rights under the law and pursue full compensation for your injury.

At Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, we help injured airline passengers hold carriers accountable. Whether your burn happened during turbulence , takeoff, or routine service, you deserve to know whether negligence played a role. We work with medical experts, gather flight records, and identify safety violations that may have caused your injuries. Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation.

Burns in the air often happen when flight attendants serve liquids or operate hot equipment without following basic safety practices. Examples include:

• Coffee or tea spilled during turbulence
• Crew bumping a passenger with a hot beverage tray
• Food service carts left unsecured and rolling into passengers
• Hot meals or liquids spilled into passengers’ laps
• Lack of warning when handing off hot items
• Overfilled or poorly sealed cups provided during service

While turbulence is sometimes unpredictable, the airline is still responsible for securing equipment, monitoring weather conditions, and issuing proper warnings.

Burn injuries are painful, and in-flight burns can be especially dangerous due to delays in treatment. Even minor spills can cause:

• First- or second-degree burns on the lap, legs, or arms
• Scalds to the chest or neck from splashing liquids
• Nerve damage or permanent scarring
• Burns that require skin grafts or lead to infection
• Bruises, fractures, or crush injuries from food carts

These injuries often result in hospital visits, missed work, and long-term recovery. The financial impact of dealing with these injuries can be devastating.

Airlines are required to follow safety procedures designed to prevent accidents in the cabin. When a crew member ignores those rules—by serving overfilled cups, failing to secure a cart, or walking away from hot liquids—the airline may be held liable.

If your flight was international, the Montreal Convention may apply. This international treaty allows injured passengers to recover compensation for onboard accidents without needing to prove negligence. As long as your injury resulted from an unexpected event—such as a sudden spill or dropped tray—you may qualify for compensation under this treaty.

We can help determine whether your claim falls under U.S. negligence laws or the Montreal Convention, and we will gather the records needed to prove your case for compensation.

To prove that the airline caused your injury, we take quick steps to preserve evidence and show what went wrong. Our team will:

• Request in-flight incident reports and crew statements
• Obtain flight logs to check for turbulence or service disruptions
• Interview witnesses who saw the spill or cart accident
• Review airline policies and safety protocols
• Work with your doctors and medical experts to document the extent of your injuries

The airline’s defense often hinges on blaming unavoidable turbulence or suggesting the injury was minor. We counter these tactics with detailed records and expert reports that show the true impact of the accident.

Depending on the facts of your case, you may be able to recover compensation for:

• Emergency treatment and follow-up care
• Burn-specific care, such as dressings or grafts
• Lost wages or missed time from work
• Pain and suffering
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Emotional trauma

Every case is different. Our goal is to understand how the unexpected injury affected your life and demand a settlement that reflects the full cost of your recovery and damages suffered.

If you were burned or otherwise injured during airline food or beverage service, you may have a claim for monetary damages. However, finding the best personal injury lawyer for your case is imperative. At Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, we have extensive experience handling all types of airline injury claims and are immediately available to meet with you to discuss your case. Call us today toll-free at 877-448-8585 for a free consultation. We charge no fees unless and until we win your case.