WWYD? Concussion after suitcase fell on my head!

[UndertheCedartree]

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?

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

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.

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.

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???

BA

A stretcher?! Good grief.

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

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.

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

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.

British Airways

No, I was in no fit state to contact anyone

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

But have you contacted your insurance company now?

No. Really not able to think straight to be honest.

@UndertheCedartree did you lose consciousness.
Did the airline arrange your original night of accommodation?
Did you report it immediately to your insurers, who should have advised re attending hospital and for accommodation/escort service for your children if younger teenagers?
If you were unwell, the insurers should have arranged assistance for the flight home.

I take it you had travel and health insurance?
It needs a strong letter to the CEO of BA in my opinion but a lot of steps seem to be missing here.

Did you not have to contact your insurance company to pay the hospital bill?

There's no weight limit. It could have been very heavy. And honestly I've seen bad injuries for much less. I'm still in hospital. The Americans healthcare left a lot to be desired. But even the firefighters wanted a stretcher and to do observations. As they should have. Either I was fine in which case we should have been allowed to fly. Or I wasn't in which case I needed to be looked after properly.

That’s madness. Get off MN and tell your insurance company. First thing you do.

I have ambulance chasing but in this case I would sue.

This doesn’t add up to me, sorry. A hospital in Florida admitted you to hospital, treated you and then discharged you without asking for insurance details? Unless you are so wealthy that you just paid a bill in the £1,000s without contacting your insurance company…? We had a bill of over £1,000 for 20 mins in the ER, an x-ray and a sling 15 years ago, so your bill must have been enormous. Plus you needed rearranged flights, etc. - so you’ve just paid that all out of pocket and still haven’t contacted your insurance company. I understand that you’re struggling, but you’ve been able to compose a post, read responses and reply to them, so you’d be well enough to hand your phone and emails to a teenager and tell them to find the contact details for the insurance company and try to call them (I have a very immature young teenager who struggles to make himself pasta and he could still manage this if he had to!)

The lockers move down hence bring able to fall on your head. I think the design is bad.

Unfortunately I wasn't well enough to think to do this or be able to do it, tbh. Should I contact them now?