Qantas agrees to compensate for screaming child on flight
Australia's national airline carrier Qantas has settled a lawsuit with a U.S. woman who claims she lost her hearing as a result of an incident during a flight last year.
Jean Barnard, 67, a senior partner in an international business consulting company was touring Australia as a tourist last year. She boarded a Qantas flight in Australia's outback in Alice Springs heading for Darwin. Shortly after taking her seat a 3-year old boy opposite her allegedly leaned over and screamed at her. The shriek was so bad blood formed in Ms Barnard' ears and her eardrum allegedly ruptured.
The tourist was planning an extended trip with further visits to Australian cities and towns before setting off for New Zealand. However the incident brought the vacation to an end and Ms Barnard, who said she became deaf over the incident, returned to the U.S.
She then filed a lawsuit against the Australian airline claiming severe and permanent injuries, including "sudden sensio-neural hearing loss," from the child's scream, and physical and mental suffering. She was seeking compensation for her injury, and loss of earnings as she said her capacity to continue working had been impaired.
Ms Barnard's attorney Brian Lawler in his legal arguments claimed Qantas was negligent as the plane's cabin and cockpit crew failed to take all necessary precautions to prevent the "accident" that resulted in her "injury".
Qantas's lawyers argued there was evidence Ms Barnard had a hearing problem before she Left the U.S. and said Qantas could not be held to blame for "the arbitrary and volitional act of a three-year-old child." The child was not screaming at the airport or on the plane until Ms Barnard arrived at her seat, Qantas claimed, adding that its staff could not predict when a child would scream.
The airline produced emails saying Ms Barnard had hearing problems prior to the incident and had used hearing aids. Another email was produced which supported her injury claims and her feelings about the child who caused them. "I guess we are simply fortunate that my eardrum was exploding and I was swallowing blood. Had it not been for that, I would have dragged that kid out of his mother's arms and stomped him to death," she said in the email.
Legal proceedings in the case, which have been running for almost a year since the incident in January 2009, were adjourned last week while the parties entered into a settlement, the details of which were not disclosed. The parties say they signed confidentiality agreements as part of the settlement which prevents either party from speaking further about the case.
Comments
More Bangkok News
RSS-
Hackers eager to exploit black holes in Thai cyberspace security
The recent hacking of the prime minister's website set off alarm bells among the government's security watchdogs, but there are hundreds of well-trained hackers lurking in cyberspace ready to strike ill-prepared local ...
-
If Im guilty execute me Abhisit on the red shirt crackdown
Three years to the day that the events of April and May, 2010 culminated in the red shirt crackdown and the surrender of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship's leaders, Thai society remains deeply divided. Some 92 people were killed in the crackdown, from protesters to innocent bystanders, journalists to security ...
-
Unofficial hearing on Krabi power plant
Senator Boonsong Kowawisarat, chairman of the Senate Committee on natural resources and environment, on Sunday led a delegation to Krabi, to hear public concerns over the planned construction of an 800-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the province. Accompanying him were a sub-committee. Both local residents and representatives from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand - which owns ...
-
Intensifying conflicts foreseen poll
The Thai public foresees intensifying political conflicts following opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva's notion that said a general election may take place late this year. The Yingluck government took office in August 2011. Of 1,316 respondents, 43.35 per cent believed that Abhisit's notion would intensify political conflicts while 20.23 per cent said that the government's ...
-
Red shirts rally at Ratchaprasong Rajdamri Road closed to traffic
Roads around the Ratchaprasong Intersection were hit with severe traffic congestion as police closed the Rajdamri Road on the side of CentralWorld Sunday for red shirts to hold a demonstration. Red-shirt guards used barriers and trucked to block the both inbound and outbound Rajdamri Road for setting up a stage. ...
-
Rajdamri Road closed for Reds gathering
The section of Rajdamri Road in front of CentralWorld has been closed ahead of the gathering of the red-shirts, who are commemorating the dispersal three years ago. In his Tweet, Former prime ...
-
Rising living cost shakes Govt
Higher cost of living is cited as a major reason that could weaken the government's support, according to a poll by Assumption University. Higher cost of living is the biggest cause for 85.2 per cent of the 2,115 respondents in 17 provinces: while charter amendment (81.9 per cent) is the ...
-
Myanmars foreign arrivals up 44 per cent in the first four months
Yangon - Foreign arrivals at Yangon airport during the first four months of the year jumped 44 per cent year-on-year, with Europeans accounting for about one-third, reports said Sunday. Through April, 253,136 foreign visitors arrived at Yangon airport, 67,460 of them Europeans, the Myanmar Times reported. Among European arrivals, France was the main source market followed by Britain and ...
-
Four arrested for hotel blast in souther Thailand
Four suspects were arrested yesterday in connection with an explosion at a Narathiwat hotel in the morning that left six people injured. The bombing took place at around 11am at Asia Hotel, in Sungai Kolok district of the southernmost Muslim-majority province. Room Nos 306 and 307 on the third floor of the hotel were severely damaged. The impact of the explosion brought down the ceilings of ...
-
Finding the quiet side of Thailand’s party island
The monthly full-moon party on Ko Phangan draws tens of thousands of tourists, but there’s much more to the Thai island than hard partying - and a new airport may bring far-reaching ...
-
Patriots ordered out of Sanam Luang
City Hall has threatened Alliance of Thai Patriots protesters with legal action if they do not call off a demonstration at Sanam Luang. Around 100 ATP supporters have been protesting against the International Court of Justice's role in the Preah Vihear territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia since May 6. Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai, adviser to Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand ...
-
North Korea launches three missiles into sea South says
Seoul - North Korea Saturday launched three short-range guided missiles into the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Defence Ministry said. Two launches occurred in the morning into the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast, also called the East Sea, and the third was conducted in the afternoon, a ministry spokesman said. North Korea last carried out missile launches in March when it ...
-
China crushes Thailand at Beilun International Volleyball Tournament
China powered past Thailand in straight sets on Saturday for their second victory at the Beilun International Women's Volleyball Tournament.The Chinese, who lost to Thailand on four occassions in the past four years, gained sweet revenge with the 15-15, 25-13, 25-9 win.However, Chinese head coach Lang Ping played down the significance of the big victory."Thailand didn't play their ...
-
Irans president to attend Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Thailand
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will attend the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit scheduled for May 19 to 20 in Thailand, semi-official Fars news agency reported Saturday.Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi and Vice President Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh will accompany Ahmadinejad during his visit to Thailand, according to the report.The primary themes of the water summit, to be held in ...
-
Thailand shortlisted for hosting race
Bangkok (The Nation/ANN) - Chiruit Israngkun Na Ayuthaya of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, left, Pol Maj-General Lattasanya Piansomparn, adviser to the minister of energy, second right, and Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings, right, jointly announce that Thailand has been selected as a candidate to host the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's new Formula ...
-
The great Cambodia land grab
Locals are fighting a losing battle as rubber companies take over their land and, as a report last week reveals, international banks are helping to pay for the ...
-
Reconciliation bill comes under fire
The reconciliation bill sponsored by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung is facing growing opposition as it would exonerate those responsible for the crackdown on the 2010 red shirt ...
-
Opposition demands water management scheme rethink
The Democrat Party has demanded the government review its water management scheme after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) pointed to several alleged irregularities in some ...
-
Minister to press on with school plan
LOP BURI : Merging small schools with larger ones is a proven way to improve students' academic performance and reduce teachers' workloads, says Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanchana. Mr Phongthep Saturday met teachers and parents at Ban Nong Pradu School in tambon Nong Phak Waen of Lop Buri's Tha Luang district to discuss the results of a previous school ...
-
Thailand to host Muslim conference
The Muslim World Conference 2013 will be held at Chulalongkorn University next week. The theme of the event this year is "Competitive Collaboration Strategies and the Common Culture of the Asean Community". The conference will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. It is hosted by the Muslim World Policies Centre of the university's Faculty of Economics, with support from the ...
-
NGO backing for P-move protests
The Northeastern region's NGO-Cord has issued a statement supporting a rally by the People's Movement for a Just Society (P-move), calling on the government to address grievances faced by the protesters, secretary-general Suwit Kulabwong said yesterday. Suwit said the P-move protesters have the right to rally when they have problems such as land, dam construction, pollution, problems ...
-
Three Hmong charged with drug trafficking
Three Hmong hilltribes from Chiang Mai were arrested at the Chatuchak weekend market and charged with possessing 14.5 million tablets of "ice" worth Bt450 million, police said yesterday. Police investigation found that Kasama Charoenman, 37, Anuchon Laochang, 20 and Panya Wangtrakul, 25 operated a front business, selling hilltribe clothes and handicrafts such as bags in the market and ...
News from around our Network
Comments
No comments yet for this story
Have your say