British Airways sued £50,000 after passenger breaks leg at Heathrow

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 12 Nov, 22:57 · Archive

American passenger Melissa Phillips is suing British Airways for more than £50,000 after breaking her leg while disembarking at Heathrow in March 2023.

Melissa Phillips, 49, from Maryland in the United States, fell while exiting a British Airways aircraft at London Heathrow Airport in March 2023. She sustained spiral fractures in her left fibula and tibia and is now suing the airline for more than £50,000 in damages.

Ms Phillips was travelling from Israel back to the US, using Heathrow as a connection point. According to High Court documents, her legal team claims the fall was caused by BA's negligence. Her barrister states in court documents that there was minimal crowd control or direction from cabin crew as passengers descended the damp steps to leave the aircraft.

Ms Phillips' lawyer, Katherine Deal KC, claims the disembarkation process was chaotic and that passengers were jostling each other as they went down the steps. She argues that had the steps not been overcrowded with jostling passengers, Ms Phillips would not have been knocked off balance and fallen.

British Airways is defending the claim. The airline's barrister states that Ms Phillips was negligent, as she descended the steps without looking, or without looking adequately. BA's defence is that the most likely cause of the fall was Ms Phillips simply losing her footing. The airline's barrister, Christopher Loxton, also denied that the steps were damp and insisted that passengers had not left the plane in an unusual or unexpected manner. He claimed Ms Phillips failed to take precautions such as holding the handrail.

Whilst denying liability for the incident, BA has offered to pay Ms Phillips £6,987 for her medical expenses. According to court documents presented by her legal team, the fall has left Ms Phillips with permanent symptoms affecting her daily life and causing psychological distress. Her lawyer stated that the injuries have resulted in some limitation of movement and loss of amenity affecting aspects of her daily life.

The case remains ongoing in the High Court, with the two sides in dispute over the circumstances of the fall and responsibility for Ms Phillips' injuries.

How it is being reported

• American woman suing British Airways for £50,000 after breaking leg at HeathrowShe claimed ‘damp’ steps caused her to fall while disembarking(Picture: REUTERS) An American woman who sustained leg injuries while disembarking a British Airways plane at Heathrow Airport has sued for £50,000. Melissa Phillips was flying from Israel back to her home in Maryland, via London , when…Metro · 12 Nov, 18:53
• British Airways sued £50,000 by US passenger after falling on ‘damp’ plane stepsBritish Airways is being sued by an American passenger for more than £50,000 after she fell and fractured her leg while disembarking a plane at Heathrow. According to documents filed in the High Court, Melissa Phillips, who was travelling back to Maryland in the US, where she lives, from Israel via Heathrow, suffered fractures in [...]City AM · 12 Nov, 14:06
• American woman suing British Airways for more than £50,000 after fall at HeathrowThe woman’s legal team claims the fall, which broke her leg, was because of the airline’s ‘negligence’Evening Standard · 12 Nov, 10:54
• Passenger sues British Airways for more than £50,000 after breaking leg getting off plane at HeathrowMelissa Phillips, 49, was travelling back from Israel to the US via Heathrow when her lawyers claim she was "jostled" while disembarking the flight and fell, leaving her with a broken legThe Mirror · 12 Nov, 10:31
• British Airways sued for more than £50,000 after passenger 'jostled and knocked' at HeathrowBritish Airways has been sued for more than £50,000 after a passenger broke her leg while disembarking from a plane at Heathrow. American Melissa Phillips sustained spiral fractures in her left fibula and tibia because of the fall in March 2023. Her lawyers, in High Court documents, blamed BA's"negligence" for her injuries. Ms Phillips, who lives in Maryland, was travelling back to the US from Israel with BA, via Heathrow. Her barrister claims in court documents that there was "minimal crowd control or direction" as passengers disembarked the jet. As they went down "damp" steps, Ms Phillips'…GB News · 12 Nov, 05:40

In this story: Melissa Phillips · British Airways · Heathrow Airport · Maryland · Israel · Katherine Deal KC

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