British Airways forces court battle as man sues over slip on spilt Baileys
The court battle is over an incident that happened at Heathrow in 2017.
A businessman who suffered a brain injury after banging his head when he slipped in a puddle of spilt Bailey’s liqueur at Heathrow is suing for millions of pounds in compensation.
Andreas Wuchner, who ran an office supplies company, claims the impact of the accident meant his firm folded months later and he can never work again.
He is entitled to at least £120,000 in damages but lawyers for British Airways are set to contest his claim for £5million compensation at a trial due to start next month.
Mr Wuchner says he was left with a traumatic brain injury after slipping in the liquid spilt by a passenger near a BA check-in desk in November 2017.
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A pre-trial hearing at Central London County Court heard that Mr Wuchner’s initial claim for £150,000 had been dramatically increased by his lawyers earlier this year. BA barrister Tom Bird told Judge David Saunders that Mr Wuchner, from Switzerland, is now claiming “special damages” due to the alleged impact on his business and work. He said: “He alleges that the injury he sustained at Heathrow caused the liquidation of his business in Switzerland and means that he will never be able to work again.”
Mr Bird said BA contends that its liability for the accident is limited to £120,000 under the Montreal Convention – the law which governs payouts for injuries suffered by passengers on international flights.
Mr Wuchner claims the brain injury has left him suffering from repeated headaches “which can last continuously for up to two weeks”. The businessman, who was at Heathrow to catch a BA flight to Zurich, also experiences “forgetfulness” and “concentration problems,” he claims.
Judgment has already been entered in favour of Mr Wuchner under the convention but he is claiming more compensation.
Mr Bird said: “There are significant factual disputes between the parties, going not only to the circumstances of the accident, but also to the nature and extent of the claimant’s injuries on his employment prospects and the reasons for the insolvency of his company.”
At a hearing in the case in 2021 Natasha Jackson, for Mr Wuchner, said: “Unfortunately he does seem to have suffered some traumatic brain injury.
“The liquid turned out to be Bailey’s liqueur that hadn’t been cleared up.”
