SAS Sued for $10 Million Over Hot Coffee Incident

A 78-year-old woman claims that cabin crew on an SAS flight spilled "extremely hot" coffee on her. Now, she and her husband are suing the airline for $10 million, reports Dagbladet.

On April 3 last year, New Yorker Aymara Corbo, 78, and her husband Giuseppe were on an SAS flight from Copenhagen to Oslo. The couple was en route to a cruise around the British Isles.

According to the lawsuit, a member of the cabin crew spilled "extremely hot" coffee on Corbo during the flight. This allegedly resulted in "severe burns, pain, suffering, mental distress, reduced quality of life, scarring, and cosmetic disfigurement, as well as economic and personal losses," according to the woman's lawyer, Jonathan C Reiter.

"Corbo was unable to enjoy the cruise's amenities and services, including excursions and entertainment. Although she and her husband were physically present on the ship, they effectively lost their vacation," Reiter states in a press release.

Corbo is suing SAS for $9 million. Her husband is claiming an additional $960,000 in damages for "loss of companionship and society."

"There is no doubt that serving overly hot beverages to a passenger poses a risk during flights," Reiter says in the press release.

"Sounds a Bit 'American'"

Øystein Schmidt, SAS's press chief in Norway, confirms to Norwegian Sol that a legal process is underway regarding the case.

However, aviation analyst Hans Jørgen Elnæs strongly doubts that the couple will succeed with their compensation claim.

"This compensation claim sounds a bit 'American.' I don't recall any similar claims against Scandinavian airlines, at least none that have been successful," says Elnæs.