Good old compensation culture rears its ugly head

[Dave B]

It was too good to be true, wasn't it?

A 777 has a lucky escape at Heathrow, nobody was seriously injured; and the rolling news channels were full of stiff-upper-lipped people saying they weren't aware of anything until the plane landed and oh by the way weren't the crew brilliant in the face of danger?

Now it appears that the vultures have been biding their time and surprise surprise, according to today's Daily Mail: "British Airways faces a multimillion-pound legal action from passengers traumatised by the Heathrow crash landing".

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=512184&in_page_id=1770

[Andrewmcm]

I wonder how much they'd be claiming if the co-pilot hadn't done such a good job and they'd all ended up dead?

[SEATFreak]

I feel your pain Dave. :(

"Trauma"?! Can you please define "trauma" for me please so I can get a clearer picture of why it is you feel the need to sue everyone???!!!

Problem is, yes, we indeed live in a "blame" and "compensation" culture. A need to blame people and demand money for it. But we also I think live in a mollycoddled culture.

During WWII what did millions of people (the very Grandparents of todays adults) up and down the UK in major towns and cities (London especially) class as a traumatic experience? Adolf's bloated flying chum Goering blitzing them to pieces in heavily destructive bombardments.

What do many people class as a traumatic experience today? Minor shock? Minor cuts & bruises?

Certain people I think have turned soft, weak, wet. Whether through the dawning of the "convenience" age; an age where things are done ver simply and very quickly for you by someone or something else and physical reliance on oneself to do it is gone, or not.

And it is high time they learned to toughen up and take the rough with the smooth.

[Mark]

If (and I use the word advisedly) someone is found to be neglegent then I think passengers could be entitled to compensation as they were exposed to risk not normally present in air travel.

[BTCC Fan#1]

Its interesting to note that a large number of passengers interviewed at the time said they weren't even aware that there was anything wrong with the landing until the very last minute, one couple I saw interviewed for the evening news that day even said they didn't realise anything was wrong until the stewardess told them to go down the emergency chute!

Still, I guess if theres a chance of making a buck or two..

[BDunnell]

If (and I use the word advisedly) someone is found to be neglegent then I think passengers could be entitled to compensation as they were exposed to risk not normally present in air travel.

This is true.

I would add that the article's reference to a 'damage limitation exercise' makes what BA has been doing since the crash sound rather more self-interested than is actually the case. I think the reaction, contacting passengers personally and so on, is rather commendable. After all, we're talking about a very small number of people in the greater scheme of things as far as BA's passenger figures are concerned, and it wouldn't matter if the airline lost their business.

[jim mcglinchey]

[quote="SEATFreak"]

Most people like to act cool and unflappable but if anything like this or a road crash happens then you can find out just how delicate, mentally and physically, you really are.

[BDunnell]

Most people like to act cool and unflappable but if anything like this or a road crash happens then you can find out just how delicate, mentally and physically, you really are.

Very well said. I'm glad that we are now more aware of what such things can do to people.