The first in a series of damages claims against Ryanair for injuries reportedly sustained during an emergency landing, has been settled for approximately €40,000.
The cases stem from an incident in which an aircraft cabin became depressurized on a flight between Dublin and Zadar, Croatia.
A sudden loss of cabin pressure forced the pilots to descend rapidly.
Oxygen masks were released during the incident.
German police said 33 of the 189 passengers had been hospitalized, some with bleeding from their ears, after the plane made an emergency landing at Frankfurt-Hahn airport on July 13, 2018.
An interim report from the German Federal Aircraft Accident Investigation Office described it as a “serious incident”.
It led to a series of lawsuits and the first to reach the court was settled yesterday without any admission of liability by the airline.
The plaintiff, an Irish woman, claimed to have experienced severe pain in her ears and shaking her entire nervous system.
She claimed she ended up losing her job due to being absent from work after being given anxiety medication.
The woman was represented by Rose Sweeney of Coleman Legal.
Eighteen other customers of the company, residents of Ireland, Croatia and the US, have also filed legal claims against the airline.
The claims concern a mix of physical and psychological injuries and are being defended by Ryanair.
According to pleas in the settled case, the woman claimed to have suffered significant barotrauma to her right ear, which required treatment with steroids.
She also claimed that the accident caused her anxiety and stress and that she developed symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder and that she needed to attend counseling.
When the case went before the Dublin Circuit Civil Court yesterday, Judge Sarah Berkeley was told the matter had been settled.
Although the settlement amount was not disclosed, Irish independent understands that it was approximately €40,000, plus the plaintiff’s legal costs.
Coleman Legal declined to comment on the matter.
Ryanair did not respond to a request for comment.
In addition to the injuries she allegedly sustained, the passenger also complained that she had to sit on her bag in Frankfurt-Hahn for several hours, that she had limited access to liquids and was unable to access her checked baggage, which contained antibiotics she was taking at the time. used for urinary tract problems.
She claimed her distress was exacerbated by poor communication from airline staff.
Ryanair said in a statement at the time it apologized for “any inconvenience” passengers experienced when the flight was diverted due to “an in-flight pressure drop”.
The airline said the crew had deployed oxygen masks as per standard procedure and began a controlled descent.
“The plane landed normally and customers disembarked, where a small number received medical attention as a precaution,” the statement added.
“Customers were given refreshment vouchers and hotel accommodation was authorized. However, there was a shortage of available housing.”
Some passengers were able to board a replacement flight the next day, while a group who could not or would not fly continued on by bus instead.