Daughter hit on the head in plane by overhead locker item

[Needacupofteaandcrackers]

Hi as everyone was getting on board man placing ski helmets in overhead locker it fell onto my daughter head she’s 24 years. I was sat away from her, and was only told after we met in terminal. She’s taken ibuprofen for headaches. I worried about her. Any advice

In early 2000s an idiotic air hostess opened an overhead locker with no care and a bottle of vodka fell out (they´re bloody heavy) and hit me on the clavicle. It was so painful. She looked at me in total disdain and said it couldn´t be that bad. No apology. Little did she know I had to exert massive self control to not punch her smug face. It annoyed me so much I still remember it 25 years later. I watch anyone like a hawk who opens any locker above me.

She should wear a helmet!

Happened to my husband on a train but from the luggage rack not overhead. He's 80 next year and has been disabled for over 30 years so yes a flying suitcase was dangerous for him. I wrote to the train company suggesting that the luggage being opposite the priority seats for the vulnerable wasn't a great idea. They wrote back saying not their responsibility as travellers stacked their luggage, when I explained the train manager had rearranged the luggage to try and make space for more cases they apologised and sent us six tickets for any journey with their company. Hasn't reduced his anxiety when travelling which he rarely does now and we have to pay for first class to make him feel safer.

Don't they usually warn passengers to be careful when opening overhead lockers? I'm always a bit paranoid something will hit me so stay out of the way until the nearby lockers are emptied. I very much doubt she would have a claim (if that's what you are thinking).

She shouldn't be taking ibuprofen following a head injury. It can be dangerous. Check the nhs website for head injury advice and call 111 if necessary.

first off yes airlines are responsible and have liability for things that fall out of overhead lockers (cabin crew should check they are all correctly full it is why now passengers shouldn’t close overhead lockers and leave it to cabin crew so they check they are filled correctly)

it is also why there are rules around bag size etc
But in order to do it needs to be documented and reported at the time and any compensation would be for pain and suffering

that said it is appalling how many on this thread clearly haven’t had to someone close to them have concussion or understand the physics of force equals mass x acceleration and a pound of weight hitting can hurt and based on force and acceleration could cause concussion

Was it reported to the cabin staff? Take her to A&E if you think it's more than a little bump, but she's probably fine.

Sounds like someone might be looking to have a claim up on the insurance but wanted to check for opinions here first ..

Agree, there was a pp on here who was hit by a heavy bag in an overhead locker, she was really unwell but the airline was really unhelpful. I’m very wary of them since reading that thread.
OP your dd needs to get checked out by a doctor. Friend had a very serious concussion from bending down to get something from a drawer at work, coming up and hitting her head on an open drawer above her (someone had opened it while she was bent over).

Ski helmets are literally made of foam with plastic shell, and weigh about half a kilo. An adult is not going to be seriously hurt by one of those falling on you from about a metre.

It's annoying but if you dont' complain to the cabin crew immediately (who wouldn't do much anyway) there's nothing you can do.

Just pay attention when someone opens the locker above your head, because it's not uncommon.

It's worst when people drag their bag from the top, dragging something else in the process, but it happens.

What do you need advice on?
Your daughter's an adult

A few posters saying that the OP seems interested in compensation.

To be fair head injuries can have long lasting consequences for someone’s cognition and cause ongoing pain, mood swings, attention disturbances and memory loss and impairment of forming new memories. This can impact work, relationships and independence. If there was anything worth suing for an acquired brain injury would be it. The OP said a bag of helmets so it is unclear how heavy the bag is.

Yes the airline is liable for injury caused by their policy of allowing ridiculously heavy, bulky hand baggage and haphazard loading of overhead lockers. I wish more people would sue because economic loss (to the airlines) would force policy change.

Oooh we had one of these threads before but it was a bag I think?

Either way, a ski helmet weighs about as much as a newborn kitten doesn't it?

The OP said a bag of helmets so it is unclear how heavy the bag is.

No she didn't?

And the thread title says 'item' as in singular.

It's amazing to me how dismissive so many people are of the potential for injury from items falling from above you. The overhead locker is a known hazard. In most cases you're not allowed to operate with a known hazard and just go merrily about your way. You're not allowed to leave a hazard and just say 'be careful!' about something a person can't control. The airline should have a duty of care so that people aren't hurt by falling items.
Also, why is being litigious a bad thing when a company is being cavalier with health and safety? It's often only through suing that positive changes are forced. They make a big profit out of us, they can compensate us when they've hurt us.

I am not sure a ski helmet can ever be described as ridiculously heavy or bulky

They make a big profit out of us, they can compensate us when they've hurt us.

Yes but the only injury here will be the detached retinas of the eye-rolling member of staff who has to deal with the complaint.

It was a light-as-a-feather ski helmet that's apparently now causing the OP's daughter headaches.

Compensation should be fair but the amount of people who try it on is ridiculous.

If you're concerned about DD, how long ago was the accident? If a good few hours ago and headache is same/getting worse, she's confused, dizzy then she could make a medical appointment to be checked over.

If it's from the point of view of liability, then it was up to her to notify airline staff at the time (unless they were aware and came to check on her).

Plenty of people make a claim/ sue airlines all the time for this sort of thing. Things falling from lockers isnt exactly a novelty.

The OPs daughter will still need to prove the accident happened and that it caused an injury though.

Not to mention a significant increased risk of dementia in later life.

A ski helmet is quite light.

I think a lot of people don't actually know what a ski helmet feels like. Most people will never have touched one. They are light.

It's not being dismissive, it's about getting through life. Genuinely, how do people get anything done if you worry about all these little head knocks and call 111 each time? I banged my head on a door last week I'm pretty sure harder than a helmet bouncing off it. Yes head bumps can be serious but the vast majority are absolutely fine.

Exactly this. My head injury and post concussion syndrome, then subsequent iatrogenic injury from an off label antipsychotic that was prescribed after is still impacting my life in a devastating way a decade later with a movement disorder.

Plus, not to mention the loss of my mind's eye from the concussion too, and how depressed I've felt about everything for quite a while. To say it's probably been totally life changing is not an understatement.