Ryanair to pay €50,000 to child over luggage injury

Ryanair has agreed to pay out €50,000 to a child who was injured when a piece of luggage fell out of an overhead locker on a Ryanair flight three years ago.

Klaudia Adamczyk suffered a fracture to to the right side of the base of her skull when the piece of luggage which had been allegedly forced in to the overhead bin earlier by cabin crew tumbled out when a passenger opened the locker on landing.

The High Court today heard that the case had been settled. Approving the €50,000 settlement Ms Justice Mary Irvine said it must have been a distressing experience for the young girl who was eight years old at the time. Senior Counsel Gerry Danaher told the court the little girl had been flying with her mother from Wroclaw to East Midlands Airport in the UK on September 24th, 2010 and the plane had landed when the accident occurred.

Counsel said the case had been brought in this country because the airline was from Ireland and has it principal base of business here. Counsel said the child was upset at the time but her mother sought medical attention about ten days later when she saw blood in the child's ear.

The fracture was discovered and confirmed by a CT scan. Following hospital treatment the girld could not take part in physical activity for six months on the instructions of her doctors.

Klaudia Adamczyk had sued through her mother Betya Adamczyk of Bielany, Wroclawskie, Wroclaw, Ryanair as a result of the accident on Septembert 24th, 2010.

It was also claimed in the case that Ryanair was negligent in failing to exercise due diligence when loading and unloading the overhead bins and failing to ensure the safety of its passengers when preparing to disembark the aircraft. A medical examination of the child last year noted Klaudia suffered from headaches.