No compensation for plane passenger burnt by soup, rules German court

A court in Germany ruled on Friday that a woman who received second-degree burns after spilling soup on her body during a long-haul flight will not receive compensation from the airline.

The judge ruled that the woman had caused the burns to her chest with her own behaviour, she had not checked the temperature of the bowl before picking it up, nor the soup itself, and had wanted to eat the soup in a reclining position, based on the nature of her injuries.

She had failed to take reasonable measures to prevent or mitigate harm, the court ruled, siding with the airline, which had refused to pay the five-digit figure for compensation for pain and suffering she had demanded.

However, the court’s decision is not yet final.

According to the woman, she was served dinner on a flight from Munich to New York that included cream of porcini mushroom soup served in a porcelain bowl on a tray.

She had picked up the bowl, instead of using a spoon, but it was so hot that she quickly tried to put it back down, jolting the bowl and pouring the liquid over her chest.

She had required hospital treatment for the second-degree burns.