A woman who was left with burn injuries after a Delta Air Lines flight attendant accidentally poured boiling hot water on her head is now facing a legal battle with her insurance company to cover the cost of her medical expenses from the incident.
Sylvia Chimhina was traveling on a Delta flight from London Heathrow to Atlanta Hartsfield in August 2023 when she claims the flight attendant “poured a pot of boiling hot water” on her head that left her with severe burns, neurological injuries, and spinal damage.
The long-time Delta flyer who had been a loyal customer of the airline for 20 years at the time of the accident sustained “life-altering” injuries that continue to haunt her to this day, Sylvia claims in a new lawsuit filed against Delta.
The accident happened as flight attendants were delivering the first drinks service. Sylvia says she requested hot tea from one of the crew members, but rather than pouring the hot water into a cup, the flight attendant turned to her coworker and started to pour the water onto Sylvia.
“I’m so sorry – I don’t know what happened.”
The Delta Air Lines flight attendant said to Slyvia after pouring scalding hot water on her head.
The scalding hot water soaked her braids and clothing, leaving her in agonizing pain, as other passengers in the vicinity gasped in shock at what they had just witnessed.
An off-duty doctor rushed to her aid, and medical personnel were called to meet the aircraft on arrival, although what happened in the months following the accident had left Sylvia in severe financial distress as she fought to pay for her medical bills to treat her injuries.
Delta Offers $5,000 in Compensation, But This Doesn’t Cover Medical Expenses
Initially, Delta allegedly only offered Sylvia 4,000 SkyMiles frequent flyer points as a way of compensation – an offer that she values at just $37. Later, however, Delta’s insurer suggested a revised compensation amount of $1,600 in cash and $600 in future travel vouchers.
By this point, Sylvia’s medical bills were racking up, so she rejected the offer as insufficient. Last December, Delta came back with a final offer of $5,000 in cash compensation.
In the months following the accident, Sylvia’s health started to deteriorate, and her once flourishing business started to suffer. Then came the health insurance bills, followed by daily collection calls, and then a lawsuit from her insurance provider.
International Law Should Require Delta To Cover Medical Bills
Sylvia says she asked for a cash advance from Delta to help cover her medical bills – a requirement under the Montreal Convention, which covers international flights. Delta allegedly refused.
In her lawsuit in a Florida district court, Sylvia is asking for a cash advance of $20,000 to cover her immediate medical bills and stave off pending litigation from her health insurer.
The total amount that Sylvia could be entitled to is, however, much more, as the Montreal Convention allows for compensation of up to 151,880 Special Drawing Rights, which represents a basket of currencies.
Currently, 151,880 SDR is worth around US $219,033.
Sylvia is also suing Delta for negligence, breach of contract, and defamation. Delta is yet to respond to the lawsuit.
Where in God’s name do you dig up this crap. Your legitimacy as an aviation blogger is going right down the ‘crapper’.