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Traumatised Air Stewardess Awarded Six-Figure Compensation

Accidents at work can ruin careers and, if they are your employer's fault, it is only fair that you are compensated. In one case on point, an air stewardess left traumatised by an incident in which a jet engine caught fire was awarded more than £100,000 in damages after the airline for which she worked admitted liability.

The woman was haunted by memories of the incident, in which part of the engine detached during take-off, leading to a fuel leak, a blazing fire and an emergency landing. Amidst scenes of panic, passengers and crew were evacuated down the aircraft's emergency chute. Although she sought to keep a level head and reassure passengers, she believed that she was going to die.

After the incident, the job she had once greatly enjoyed was overshadowed by a sense of dread. Although she managed to get back to work, she felt constrained to take voluntary redundancy following a further incident in which fumes leaked into an aircraft's cabin, necessitating another emergency landing. The airline disputed the amount of compensation due to her but, after a hearing, a judge awarded her a total of £115,027, including for the loss of her congenial employment.

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