EU court rules airlines responsible for spilled coffee

Better secure that latte and luggage in case of turbulence. The European Union’s highest court has ruled that an airline can be held liable if a passenger is burned by hot coffee even if turbulence or other flight-related factor didn’t cause the spill.

The European Court of Justice says such injuries don’t have to be linked to issues typically associated with air travel to provide grounds for a passenger to seek damages.

The advisory ruling came in an Austrian case seeking financial compensation for a girl who had her father’s coffee spilled on her during a flight.

The insolvent Austrian airline Niki claimed that such mishaps needed to be linked to the flying of a plane for airlines to be held responsible.

— AP