A parched Australian woman is suing the UAE air carrier Emirates, claiming she collapsed after the airline neglected to provide her with adequate water on a long-haul flight.
Victoria State Supreme Court was told by Lina Di Falco, 54, that she has suffered from constant pain since the March 2015 incident. Di Falco claims she was denied water – after repeated requests – on the flight from Melbourne to Dubai, said a press release.
Di Falco says she was provided with just one glass of water with her inflight meal. This was an hour into the fourteen-hour flight, after which she says her requests for water were ignored.
A representative of the airline told the court on Tuesday that the plane had a water fountain which was available to passengers, but Di Falco says she was not aware of it.
The passenger said her requests for water were ignored four times before she went to the bathroom complaining of nausea and feeling as if she was going to vomit.
It was in the plane bathroom that she claims she fainted, injuring her ankle. Describing the pain she told the court it was a near "10-out-of-10" and unbearable.
Returning to Melbourne Di Falco's ankle was assessed and was found to be broken. The injury kept her from her from work as an employee of the Moonee Valley City Council.
Having returned from her "ruined" holiday, she underwent corrective surgery and an operation that kept her from work for over two months.
The Australian mother is now suing the airline for the resulting loss of lifestyle with her lawyer Ron Meldrum describing his client prior to the accident as an "adventurous" traveller who loved dancing and skiing.Di Falco said the injury had kept her from pursuing her favourite pastimes such as gardening, because the injury is still causing her pain.
