NEED TO KNOW
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A JetBlue passenger claims in a filing that she suffered burns after being given dry ice instead of an ice pack for swelling
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A civil complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, claims Patricia Matzenbacher suffered “bodily injury, including but not limited to burns and tissue damage to her left leg”
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The passenger is seeking damages and alleges her injuries from the incident are severe and permanent
A JetBlue passenger is suing the airline, claiming flight crew members handed her an ice pack containing dry ice to treat her swollen leg.
The allegations come from a civil complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of New York on March 2. In it, New York resident Patricia Matzenbacher claims she suffered “bodily injury, including but not limited to burns and tissue damage to her left leg.”
The incident occurred on JetBlue flight 1908 from Paris to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on March 31, 2025, per the complaint. During the course of the flight, Matzenbacher reportedly requested ice from the cabin crew “for the purpose of reducing swelling of her left leg.”
A JetBlue plane
Credit: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty
The complaint alleges that the flight crew “undertook” her request and subsequently provided her with “what was represented to be an ice pack.” However, Matzenbacher says that instead of a typical ice pack, the item she was given contained dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide, which is significantly colder than frozen water.
A bag of dry ice
Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty
Dry ice is typically used for industrial refrigeration, food preservation and specialized cleaning due to its extremely low temperature. It requires a number of important precautions when handling, including wearing insulated gloves when handling dry ice. According to the New York State Department of Health, making contact with dry ice can cause skin burns similar to frostbite.
The complaint claims JetBlue’s crew “negligently provided the dry ice pack for direct contact with [her] skin” and “as a direct result, [Matzenbacher] sustained bodily injuries.” She further claims in her complaint that the injuries are “severe and permanent.”
The complaint cites Article 17 of the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that places the liability for bodily injuries sustained by passengers caused by an accident on an international flight on the airlines.
In the complaint, Matzenbacher demands a trial by jury and is seeking damages in an amount to be determined in court.
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When reached for comment by PEOPLE, Matzenbacher’s attorney, Jeffrey Brecker with New York City’s Godosky & Gentile, P.C., declined to comment on the matter.
PEOPLE has reached out to JetBlue for comment.
Read the original article on People
