US woman sues BA for over £50,000 after Heathrow leg break

An American woman is pursuing British Airways for over £50,000 in damages after sustaining spiral fractures to her left fibula and tibia in a fall at Heathrow Airport. Melissa Phillips, 49, who resides in Maryland, USA, alleges the incident in March 2023 was a result of the airline's negligence.

Ms Phillips was travelling from Israel to the US via Heathrow with BA. Her legal representatives stated in High Court documents that minimal crowd control was provided by cabin crew as passengers descended "damp" steps from the aircraft. This lack of direction, they claim, led to Ms Phillips being "jostled and knocked", causing her to fall.

Airline disputes claim

British Airways is contesting the claim, with its barrister arguing that Ms Phillips was negligent herself. The defence suggests she descended the steps without adequate attention and that the fall was most likely caused by her "simply losing her footing". The airline denies responsibility for the incident.

BA has offered £6,987 towards Ms Phillips' medical expenses. However, her lawyers maintain that the disembarkation process was "chaotic" and that the airline failed to adequately manage the risk of passengers jostling each other on overcrowded steps. They assert BA did not provide reasonably safe air transport services.

According to Katherine Deal KC, representing Ms Phillips, the claimant underwent surgery and therapy following the incident. Despite treatment, she continues to experience pain, limited movement, and psychological distress. Her lawyers expect these symptoms to be permanent, impacting her daily life and ability to manage her home.

Christopher Loxton, acting for BA, stated that passengers were not disembarking in an unusual manner and denied the steps were damp. He added that it was not standard procedure for cabin crew to implement crowd control or provide directions during disembarkation, as staff did not observe any disorderly behaviour. Mr Loxton maintained that Ms Phillips' fall was due to insufficient attention to her descent and losing her footing, and that she failed to exercise reasonable care by not holding handrails or avoiding contact with other passengers or luggage.

A hearing for the claim has not yet been scheduled.