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WWYD? Concussion after suitcase fell on my head!

465 replies

UndertheCedartree · 27/09/2025 11:19

Just a thread to get opinions on this and decide what to do.

I was boarding my flight home from Florida on Thursday evening and was just sitting down when a suitcase landed on my head having fallen from the overhead locker. Honestly, the whole experience has been horrible and I feel I've been really badly treated. Being in the US all the Americans keep telling me to sue!

I don't necessarily want to do that but I would like to stop someone experiencing the same. Or I just forget about it and move on. Just interested to hear opinions.

So after it happened they called firefighters (who are paramedics too) to attend. When waiting for this I noticed they had moved my hand luggage off the plane and got my teenage children out of their seats who were both standing there crying. The firefighters came and the airline crew were telling me I have to go to hospital. I asked for some observations to be done and a stretcher brought. They insisted I had to get off the plane. The pilot came out, no empathy atall, just told me to get off the plane or he would call the police! I went with the firefighters and they told me they would have preferred to do observations before moving me but have to do what the airline says.

Anyway they took me to hospital and they said I was ok to fly home the next day. I tried to get in touch with someone to ask for some accommodations to make the flight more bearable as I was in so much pain. I was told I have to speak to 'the airport team' - we arrived at the airport at 11am and there was noone from the airline there. Eventually they came at 1pm but told me they just work on their behalf they can do nothing I need to speak to the airline on the phone/online. Tried numbers, messaging for hours. Eventually I was told they would make sure I was comfortable on the flight with pillows etc. We got on the flight having been up for a day and a half and so uncomfortable from.just sitting on airport seating, I thought I was finally going to be comfortable. When I got on board I asked for a pillow. You would have thought I'd asked for the crown jewels! I was shouted at, told there was only one pillow person customer (not actually a pillow just a small thin cushion) It was a horrible, painful flight and I felt so bad and was so dizzy when I got off the flight I am now in A&E.

They think it is a concussion but I failed one of the neurological observations so I'm waiting for a CT scan. I honestly think they could have taken more care and been much nicer. Wwyd?

OP posts:
UndertheCedartree · 28/09/2025 10:54

Soontobe60 · 27/09/2025 12:50

The thing to do here is claim off your travel insurance and let them take on any possible litigation.
Im amazed a bag could actually fall on a passengers head if they’re sitting down though as the overhead bins open into the aisle. You must have been very unlucky!

Yes, that is true I don't think they can be designed very well.

OP posts:
UndertheCedartree · 28/09/2025 10:51

TakeMe2Insanity · 27/09/2025 12:45

This is one of the few times where I would say embrace American culture and sue. This is shocking treatment. Did you contact your travel insurance when you got to hospital?

No, I was in no fit state to contact anyone

OP posts:
UndertheCedartree · 28/09/2025 10:48

ScupperedbytheSea · 27/09/2025 12:40

Shocking treatment. I wouldn't necessarily jump to suing at this stage, but I would certainly write to the airline, explaining what happened, and asking for compensation. Whatever the US equivalent of a 'letter before action' is.

What airline was it?

British Airways

OP posts:
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 27/09/2025 19:14

Izzywizzy85 · 27/09/2025 18:32

Nobody is disputing it was painful. But a stretcher is so OTT, I can’t imagine why she would need one? Or why her teenagers were crying? I get it if they’re toddlers but teens?! 🫤

Because she had a head and possible neck injury? I might have cried if it had happened to a loved one I was travelling with.

Izzywizzy85 · 27/09/2025 18:32

Nobody is disputing it was painful. But a stretcher is so OTT, I can’t imagine why she would need one? Or why her teenagers were crying? I get it if they’re toddlers but teens?! 🫤

Butterflybum · 27/09/2025 18:15

Hope that you are ok op.
Speak to your insurance company asap and email the airline once you have had your results.

dizzydizzydizzy · 27/09/2025 18:09

youalright · 27/09/2025 13:16

Its all a bit dramatic your teenagers crying and you insisting on a stretcher and a pillow on the flight im sure it hurt but its hand luggage how heavy could it possibly of been. If they discharged you and let you fly home their not massively concerned.

I had a water bottle fall out of an overhead locker onto my head. It was VERY painful. I cannot imagine how much pain the OP must have been in.

Topjoe19 · 27/09/2025 18:05

I'm so sorry that happened, what an awful experience. I would 100% pursue a claim for this. What airline was it? X

Izzywizzy85 · 27/09/2025 18:00

A stretcher?! Good grief.

SimoneHere · 27/09/2025 18:00

Soontobe60 · 27/09/2025 17:58

Which long haul aircraft accepts 23kg hand luggage???

BA

Soontobe60 · 27/09/2025 17:58

SimoneHere · 27/09/2025 17:44

its hand luggage how heavy could it possibly of been

On a long haul flight hand luggage could potentially be up to 23kg. A heavy suitcase.

I’m damn sure I’d be expecting better treatment than that if I’d been hit in the head with 23kg!

Which long haul aircraft accepts 23kg hand luggage???

SimoneHere · 27/09/2025 17:44

youalright · 27/09/2025 13:16

Its all a bit dramatic your teenagers crying and you insisting on a stretcher and a pillow on the flight im sure it hurt but its hand luggage how heavy could it possibly of been. If they discharged you and let you fly home their not massively concerned.

its hand luggage how heavy could it possibly of been

On a long haul flight hand luggage could potentially be up to 23kg. A heavy suitcase.

I’m damn sure I’d be expecting better treatment than that if I’d been hit in the head with 23kg!

Jsokev · 27/09/2025 17:34

youalright · 27/09/2025 13:16

Its all a bit dramatic your teenagers crying and you insisting on a stretcher and a pillow on the flight im sure it hurt but its hand luggage how heavy could it possibly of been. If they discharged you and let you fly home their not massively concerned.

Cabin baggage can be 15kg with some airlines. Imagine that in a hard case landing on your head. Could easily do a lot of injury.
I've seen cabin bags fall out of overhead lockers. Maybe the locker was overstuffed and someone was trying to get the next bag out and didn't realise they were dislodging the other case. If you are sat in the aisle seat it can hit you.

Porkychops · 27/09/2025 17:06

Why are people being so mean on here. Thr same thing happened to my friend at the end of a flight. People rushed to wgt their hand luggage out and she was still sitting down. As someone pulled one bag out a hard shall carry on case fell and hit her on the head. We did complain the airline as we felt that people were allowed far too much carry on and it made it safe. I actually prefer Ryanir as you know where you are and people know that they can only bring a certain amount.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 27/09/2025 16:59

youalright · 27/09/2025 13:16

Its all a bit dramatic your teenagers crying and you insisting on a stretcher and a pillow on the flight im sure it hurt but its hand luggage how heavy could it possibly of been. If they discharged you and let you fly home their not massively concerned.

My cabin bag is a small plastic suitcase with wheels which I'm sure could do a lo5 of damage if it landed on someone's head

helpfulperson · 27/09/2025 16:59

But how is the incident the airlines fault? Passengers put luggage in tge bins themselves. Crew generally don't touch it. The treatment you got at the airport sounds reasonable if a little brusque. It was pretty obvious very quickly you wouldn't be flying so of course they need you, your party and luggage off asap. And your hospital treatment and repatriation is the responsibility of your insurance not the airline.

Trallers · 27/09/2025 16:51

The effects of even a minor concussion have the potential to rumble on for a very long term, especially if not managed well at the start. I would encourage you to make some sort of claim against them tbh as you may find your self impacted in your ability to work/function for a long time. Equally you may bounce back, which would be fantastic, but given no aspect of the incident was your fault I wouldn't wait to find out.

In the mean time sleep, fluids, quiet, no screen time or stress, and fish oils.

Purplecatshopaholic · 27/09/2025 16:49

Release your inner irate American and sue their ass! Terrible treatment by the sounds of it, I hope you are feeling better soon.

callyjayne6 · 27/09/2025 16:44

Honestly, I would probably do nothing.

Jsokev · 27/09/2025 16:23

Lifestooshort71 · 27/09/2025 15:40

Come on OP, answer some of the questions so we can better understand what happened....

She said she's in A&E, so there may be things happening and maybe she's feeling unwell. Have some patience

notimagain · 27/09/2025 16:10

Based on mulling this over again and looking at my original reponse I think I misjudged slightly. I've been on the other side of the fence on a couple of incidents like this and feel the need to a add few further thoughts..

I still don't think from what is in the OP that the offload was brilliantly done but from the crew POV the OP had suffered a head injury and someone has made a probably highly reasonable decision to offload, and sadly that's not really negotiable..

The emphasis for the crew then starts to become their other passengers, and that means getting the offload done reasonably quickly for multiple reasons...(just one of which is perhaps not screwing up the onwards travel plans of x hundred fellow passengers who might have connecting flights etc).

If the paramedics thought is was safe for the OP to disembark by walking then that's their call..any observations they thought might be needed could be done on the jetway or in the terminal.

Back to the Cabin crew - they normally do the TLC involved in cases like this..., the fact that one of the flight crew (pilots) came back into the cabin, got involved, and actually into a discussion with the OP probably means things weren't going as they should.have been.

Nearly50omg · 27/09/2025 15:42

American airports and staff etc there are awful so yes I would personally carry on and put in as much claims as you can and complaints

BusyMum47 · 27/09/2025 15:42

TakeMe2Insanity · 27/09/2025 12:45

This is one of the few times where I would say embrace American culture and sue. This is shocking treatment. Did you contact your travel insurance when you got to hospital?

I agree 100%

Lifestooshort71 · 27/09/2025 15:40

Come on OP, answer some of the questions so we can better understand what happened....

Barrenfieldoffucks · 27/09/2025 15:36

You asked for observations and a stretcher?

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