One estimate says about 45,000 people a year are hit by luggage on planes, resulting in law suits. That is without those not going to court, and those in other countries. Plus people like me who want to report the supposedly minor incident, but are unable to do so.
Angela's Incident
I was hit on the head, by a suitcase, downloaded by a passenger from the overhead locker.
I was on a Ryan Air flight, which had arrived at the destination airport, Stansted, from Paphos in Cyprus. Jun 9 2022. Afternoon flight.
I told the passing flight attendant who told me to report it to the person at the front of the plane. I don't know who we spoke to, a couple of cabin crew, two re, three, one left, two. To my surprise the airline staff made no record when I tried to report the incident.
I said, "If you won't report it, I would like to report it. Do you have a comments form?"
They said, "We don't have a form."
At the time, I thought, that is odd. But later, in retrospect, I realize that everybody has gone paperless. I shall look online.
If I had been on a Singapore Airline flight, I could have asked for a comment form, and got one. I once asked for a comment form so I could say I liked the dessert.
The steward anxiously wanted to know, 'Do you have a complaint? Is it anything I can put right?'
On Ryanair, the two or three staff on the plane asked, "Was it was a member of our staff who had struck/injured you?"
"No. A passenger."
They asked if I could 'identify' the passenger.
I could not.
(I could only identify that he was a grey haired tall man in the seat across the aisle from mine.) My seat was an aisle seat.
I had two witnesses. The woman (initials J P - whose name I know) seated in the middle seat beside me heard the noise and my yelp.
The readl visual witness was a well-spoken young woman (young British blonde) seated behind the person who removed the suitcase saw what happened.
She said to him, "Did you know, you hit that woman with your suitcase."
He replied, "No, I didn't. How could I? I am over here!"
(Ryan air flies only Airbus 737-800, my husband says. (Unlike Singapore Airlines which flies the giant double decker 380s). The smaller plan'es aisle is so narrow, it is only the width of one person facing fowards, so that you have to stand sideways to pass somebody else.)
I did not get the blonde's name. But she accompanied me to speak to the pilot/steward. But they did not take her name or mine.
To give them credit, they listened patiently. If I had been bleeding or visibly bruised the airline would have called for medical assistance.
But they made no record of the incident. I was surprised.
Things are done differently in other organizations. When I fell over, slipping on a floor wet from rain, by the swimming pool at a condo (Cashew Heights) in Singapore, the security staff made a report. Even though I soon got up and walked away. (And at least two of the staff kept enquiring when I passed days later if I was feeling better and had recovered.)
Once, at a private swimming pool club (Harrow, UK) I was hit on the head by another swimmer. (She was doing backstroke in a laned pool. She was very apologetic and later insisted on buying me a drink and offering me food at the bar.)
The staff insisted on calling an ambulance to check my pulse etc, even though I declined to go to hospital for an x-ray, before letting me leave.
I wrote a brief mention of the RyanAir insiceent with the suitcase on Facebook which has a higher readership and more personal friends to see if friends and fellow travellers had experienced anything similar). However, I have more to say on this here on my travel post.
Airlines always (? - certainly frequently - so it must have happened before, and often) make an annnouncement about being careful when removing items from overhead lockers. It must happen a lot.
But my incident was not reported. So my incident is extra to the annual statistics of anybody who keeps records.
I was asked by the airline crew, "are you ok?"
"No, my head is aching."
"But you don't want medical assistance. So you are OK, to walk?"
"Yes, but what if I get delayed reaction? What if I had collapsed an hour later, or a day later? I might not have a claim against the airline, but I might have a claim on my insurance."
I might have found that I needed to prove to my employers that I had had a genuine accident.
My GP might ask me to fill in a form. I might be asked later if I had ever had a blow to the head. A blow to the head is serious.
An x-ray can show up lesions from blood clots in the brain. Blows to the head can result in numerous problems, years later. Brain problems. Parkinsons disease.
Aircraft need to be redesigned. The system for lifting down heavy objects from overhead lockers with people next to each other needs re-thinking. You pull an item out of an overhead locker and it hurtles down. I wasn't even standing in the aisle standing. I was sitting down in the aisle seat. But the next day I am still shaken, mentally, and my right hand is trembling as I write this. What do health and safety departments think about this?
Let me end on a lighter note. I can write a humorous speech about this. I can buy myself a lightweigh cyclist's helmet to wear on planes. When people ask if I am going cycling, I shall reply, No, I am protecting myself on the flight from flying suitcases.
Tips For Travellers
What can you do?
Make Records
The first thing is to have a complete record of when and where the incident took place. The day, the time, the people. The event. The after effects.
Witness Contact Details
Ask for the name address and contact detail of witnesses. If they decline to give you their contact details, give them yours. They might decide to contact you later to ask if you are ok, or even to say that they do not wish to be a witness.
Visual Evidence
If possible, photograph the seat, the aisle, the luggage, the assilant, the witness, the staff person helping you with the incident.
Any bruising. Even the person sitting looking dazed. Looking angry. Sympathizing. Shouting. Accusing. Denying.
Video or record the voice of the witness. If they don't want their name, they might allow you simply to record their voice. Then you have their words.
Medical Checkups
You can visit your GP (general practitioner in the UK), or go to an Accient and Emergency area which might involve a long wait. (Avoid the wait by going privately.) You can get legal advice for free in the UK by calling Citizens Advice Bureau.
On Facebook, another friend wrote to me that such an incident falls under Work Health Safety. They have a duty of care.
another comment referred to authorities:
Danae Penn
I am so sorry to hear about this, Angela. The UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal has Passenger Facilitation Groups in each continent. The one for Ryanair is part of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and Ireland and the UK are members of that. Singapore (where you live?) will belong to an Asian equivalent. Ryanair have a bad reputation, including for passengers with reduced mobility. Perhaps the UK Consumers Association 'Which?' could advise you.
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