A Ryanair passenger has received a £4,000 payout after a “horrible experience” saw her have boiling hot tea poured over her lap.
Devon Buffoni, 31, was travelling back from Bordeaux to London Stansted when a cup of hot tea slid from a defective tray table and spilled onto her lap, causing second degree burns.
The settlement was reached in January this year after what her legal representatives described as a prolonged battle with the budget airline.
The incident, which occurred in 2023, resulted in severe blistering to her upper thigh, and Ms Buffoni continues to experience lasting effects from her injuries, including visible scarring and sensitivity to cold weather.
The tax advisor had been seated in the middle seat with her 11-month-old son nearby when she placed her drink on the tray table and noticed it beginning to move.
As she attempted to grab the sliding cup, the lid detached, sending scalding tea across her upper thigh, which subsequently blistered badly.
The sudden shock caused her to cry out, which in turn upset her infant son.
The mum-of-two said: “I tried to catch [the cup of tea], but the lid came off and boiling hot tea poured all over my lap.
Devon Buffoni was flying from Bordeaux to London Stansted when the incident occured
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“I screamed at the shock of it and that set off my son, who was only 11 months at the time, burst into tears.
“It all happened so quickly but it was obvious that the flight tray was not fit for purpose.”
The 31-year-old was sharply critical of how cabin crew handled the emergency, stating they lacked adequate medical training and were slow to respond, describing the incident as a “horrible, horrible experience”.
She received just a single bottle of water to treat her burns initially, while the service trolley remained in the aisle, preventing her from accessing proper medical attention.
It was only upon reaching baggage reclaim that Ms Buffoni discovered severe blistering had developed across the affected area
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“Each flight should have large and small burn patches in their first-aid boxes, but one didn’t have any at all and the medical kit at the front of the plane only had the small patch,” she explained.
The area protected by the patch healed without damage, demonstrating what proper supplies might have achieved.
Although paramedics met the aircraft on the tarmac, they assessed the injury as superficial and recommended painkillers.
It was only upon reaching baggage reclaim that Ms Buffoni discovered severe blistering had developed across the affected area.
Following the 2023 incident, Ms Buffoni reported what had happened to Ryanair but claims the airline repeatedly dismissed her concerns and even suggested she had knocked over the beverage herself.
Frustrated by this response, she engaged Hudgell Solicitors to pursue her case.
She said: “My advice to anyone in my position is to stick it out and not let Ryanair’s lack of courtesy and obvious delay tactics stop you from getting answers.”
Paul Rimmer, who represented Ms Buffoni, emphasised that financial compensation was never her primary motivation.
He said: “This was never about the money for Devon. She simply wanted an apology and an acceptance she had been let down.
“This never came, so she was left with little option to fight her corner until Ryanair finally decided to settle.”
