Mom gets thousands after hot tea spills on her lap during flight

By Jonathan Coles

A mom has been awarded a £4,000 payout after a hot cup of tea slid off a tray table and into her lap during a Ryanair flight — giving her second-degree burns.

Devon Buffoni was flying to London Stansted from Bordeaux when the "horrible, horrible experience" unfolded.

The 31-year-old tax advisor from Upminster, East London, was in the middle seat and had placed the drink on a tray table.

Devon noticed the cup sliding mid-flight but, when she tried to catch it, the lid came off — spilling "boiling" tea on her upper thigh.

The wound later blistered and, unhappy with Ryanair's response, she instructed Hudgell Solicitors — who eventually landed her a £4,000 settlement.

Devon, a mom-of-two, said: "It took them ages to reply and when they did there were so many inconsistencies in what they were saying.

"If they replied straight away and apologised, I wouldn't have been so angry and upset about it."

Devon says the ordeal, which unfolded on a flight in 2023, "all happened so quickly".

She said: "I tried to catch [the cup of tea], but the lid came off and boiling hot tea poured all over my lap.

"I screamed at the shock of it and that set off my son, who was only 11 months at the time, burst into tears.

"It all happened so quickly but it was obvious that the flight tray was not fit for purpose."

Devon claims the on-board flight team lacked basic medical training and were also slow to react to the incident.

It was argued by her solicitors that these failings contributed to the severity of the burns and the time they took to heal.

Devon said: "I don't think the staff on the flight handled it very well at all, to be honest.

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"At first, I was given one bottle of water to pour over the burns, but no-one made any effort to move the trolley from the aisle so I could get medical attention.

"Each flight should have large and small burn patches in their first-aid boxes, but one didn't have any at all and the medical kit at the front of the plane only had the small patch.

"The area where the patch was placed has no damage so it goes to show what could have happened had they been properly stocked.

"An ambulance met us on the tarmac, but the paramedic said it was superficial and I was told to take painkillers.

"It was when I got to the baggage area that the burns had all badly blistered."

Devon reported the incident to Ryanair but claims she was continually snubbed — and even accused of knocking over the drink herself.

A settlement of £4,000 was eventually reached in January 2026, Hudgell Solicitors said.

Devon still has scarring on her legs, and says she continues to suffer long-term issues because of the burns.

She said: "It was really bad, to be honest, and it's taken a long time to get better.

"The scarring decreased last summer but it's still there, and in the winter my skin reacts to the cold and can be quite painful.

"In similar cases, it could have led to lifechanging scarring – and I don't want to even think about what had happened if the drink had fallen on my son.

"My advice to anyone in my position is to stick it out and not let Ryanair's lack of courtesy and obvious delay tactics stop you from getting answers."

Paul Rimmer, a member of the legal team which represented Devon, said: "This was never about the money for Devon.

"She simply wanted an apology and an acceptance she had been let down.

"This never came, so she was left with little option to fight her corner until Ryanair finally decided to settle."

Ryanair was approached for comment.