A family is suing Australia's flag carrier Qantas and seeking more than $150,000 in damages after an in-flight entertainment unit allegedly fell onto their son's hand, partially severing his pinky finger, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The Dela Cruz family was traveling from Manila to Sydney on Jan. 14 when the unit fell on two-year-old Cameron's finger while his left hand was placed on the armrest.
A doctor aboard the Airbus A330 bandaged the wound but the family asked the captain to turn the plane around so Cameron could be taken to the hospital for further treatment. However, their request was denied and the flight continued on to Sydney.
"It felt like the longest, worst flight of my life and we've done a lot of flying," Cameron's mother Natalie told the Daily Telegraph. "It was only an hour and a half into the flight. We had another six hours until we got to Sydney."
The family is now claiming Cameron suffered a permanent disability that will hinder his ability to earn income later in life.
"The claim against Qantas concerns their liability for Cameron suffering an injury where his finger was amputated as a result of a faulty entertainment unit on his flight from Manila," the family's attorney Thomas Janson told 9Honey. "The Dela Cruz family are entitled to seek compensation under the Montreal Convention 1999 for damages up to and in excess of $113,110 Special Drawing Rights, which is roughly around $200,000 Australian dollars."
Qantas has 28 days to respond to the claim. And while a spokesperson wouldn't comment on the legal battle, they defended the decision to continue on to the flight's final destination in Australia.
"We can understand how upsetting this was for the family involved," a spokesperson for the airline told 9Honey.
"We were fortunate to have the assistance of a surgeon onboard and the Captain also briefed MedLink who advised that due to the stable condition of the child it would be better to continue to Sydney."
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