A mother from Upminster has received a £4,000 payout from Ryanair after suffering second-degree burns when a cup of scalding tea spilled into her lap during a flight. Devon Buffoni, 31, was travelling home to London Stansted from Bordeaux with her partner and their 11-month-old son on 30 September 2023 when the incident occurred.
Incident Details
Buffoni, a tax adviser, described the experience as a "horrible, horrible experience." She was seated in the middle of three seats, with her partner by the window holding their son. The tea slid off an allegedly faulty tray table, and despite her attempt to catch it, the lid came off and boiling liquid poured over her lap. "I screamed at the shock of it, and that set off my son," she said. "It all happened so quickly but it was obvious that the flight tray was not fit for purpose."
Crew Response and Medical Care
Buffoni criticised the cabin crew's handling of the situation, stating they lacked basic medical knowledge and were slow to respond. She was initially given only one bottle of water to pour over the burns, and no effort was made to move the trolley so she could access medical attention. Her legal team, Hudgell Solicitors, argued that these failings worsened the severity and healing time of her burns. "Each flight should have large and small burn patches in their first-aid boxes, but one didn't have any at all," she added.
Upon landing, an ambulance met the plane, but a paramedic deemed the burns superficial and advised painkillers. However, by the time she reached the baggage area, the burns had blistered badly.
Legal Battle and Settlement
Buffoni reported the incident to Ryanair, but the airline allegedly claimed she had knocked the tea into her own lap. After prolonged denial of liability, Ryanair reached an out-of-court settlement of £4,000. "It took them ages to reply and when they did there were so many inconsistencies," she said. "If they replied straight away and apologised, I wouldn't have been so angry."
Paul Rimmer of Hudgell Solicitors highlighted a "worrying trend" of similar incidents on budget flights. "This is yet another case in which Ryanair tried to confuse, obfuscate and blur the lines of truth and accountability," he said. "This was never about the money for Devon. She simply wanted an apology."
Long-Term Impact
Buffoni still bears scarring on her legs and experiences pain in cold weather. Her wedding plans were disrupted as she felt self-conscious about her wounds. "It was really bad, to be honest, and it's taken a long time to get better," she said. "This sort of thing seems to be happening more on Ryanair flights, but I was lucky as the burns were on my upper legs."
She advised others in similar situations to persevere and not let Ryanair's delay tactics deter them from seeking answers. Ryanair was contacted for comment.
