The Dangers of Seatback Pockets and Overhead Bins
You know the drill, near the end of a flight, someone comes on the overhead speakers to tell you to check the seat back pocket for your personal belongings, and be careful when opening the overhead bins.
The ABRAMS LANDAU team is currently in litigation in the federal courts on behalf of an emergency room doctor, who is flying to a medical conference in Egypt. As they were landing, he reached into the back pocket, as passengers were instructed to do after this long flight, saw a shocking site
This former military physician pulled out his hand with a used, hypodermic needles sticking his finger. He asked the flight crew to find out not the name of the passenger who had sat in the seat prior to his journey, but to inquire to what condition they may have. There are different protocols for treating a needle stick from someone with hepatitis C, versus someone with AIDS, versus someone with some other communicable disease or condition. Long story, short, the Egypt air folks did not provide that information, even though this traveler would’ve had access to the correct medical protocol.
This injured air traveler endured a significant amount of time of severe emotional distress. He had to undergo the protocols for all of the potential diseases or conditions he may have picked up. He had to curtail and changed the way he interacted with his own patience and colleagues. In addition, he also had to change interactions with his wife. After several months, when his liver enzymes values increased, there was even more distress, and additional testing required.
Unlike SouthWest Airlines, which has a net for a seatback pocket, so you can see the contents, this airline had a solid pocket. The lesson to be learned, is to look before you reach inside, cause you never know what you may encounter. The contractor for Egypt Airlines or the air carrier itself may have been negligent and failing to find (& remove) this sharp object in the seatback pocket before the jet was turned over to the next flight
Nobody expects to take an international flight, and wind up with a needle stick of a potentially harmful disease or medical condition. While this is an unusual case, sharp objects due post dangers in the air, and Travelers must be especially vigilant, when following the directions of airline crew members. The Ames land a team is currently in litigation in the federal courts on several Montreal convention cases. These are cases where injury occurred during an itinerary involving international travel.
If you or someone you care about has had an injury, while traveling domestically, or on an international itinerary, and there are questions about the law, injuries, and legal rights, please reach out to us.