Boy who suffered nightmares after Ryanair flight awarded €10,000

An 11-year-old Co Kildare schoolboy, who suffered nightmares following the emergency descent and landing of a Ryanair aircraft after inflight loss of cabin pressure, has settled a personal injuries claim against the airline for €10,000.

Barrister Ciaran Mandal told Judge John O’Connor in the Circuit Civil Court on Monday that the incident had occurred on a flight from Dublin to Zadar Airport in July 2018 when Stefan Kokic, now aged 17, was travelling with his parents to Croatia.

“Stefan was involved in an undoubtedly terrifying ordeal,” Mr Mandal, who appeared with Rose Sweeney of Coleman Legal Solicitors.

The teenager had sued Ryanair through his mother Nikolina Kokic of The Meadows, Cornelscourt, Newbridge, Co Kildare, who in an affidavit said her son had suffered emotional upset as a result of the incident but had dealt well with the experience.

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Mr Mandal told the court that the aircraft sustained a sudden inflight depressurisation which had resulted in the necessity for an emergency descent into Frankfurt Hahn airport before the family were able to continue their flight to Zadar.

Counsel said the claim had been brought under the Montreal Convention under which, in order to recover damages, the event that occurred had to be an accident and the complainant had to have suffered bodily injury.

Mr Mandal said that although Ryanair had put both matters in issue in their defence they had belatedly conceded the event was indeed an accident. Stefan had subsequently been diagnosed with a degree of stress secondary to the incident as well as headaches.

Stefan had twice attended his GP, Dr Hugh Brady of The Bridge Medical Centre, Newbridge, and counsel was recommending the court’s approval of a €10,000 settlement offer by Ryanair on the basis of “outstanding issues.”

Judge O’Connor approved the offer.