Court dismisses claim of ex-flight steward who sued SIA for over $1m

A former flight steward who sued Singapore Airlines (SIA) for over $1 million, after he claimed to have slipped on a grease patch on board a plane, has had his claim dismissed by the High Court.

- Nadine Chua

Mr Durairaj Santiran, 35, claimed that the fall caused injuries to his spine, leaving him medically unfit to continue working as a flight steward.

The Malaysian also claimed his former employer was negligent by allowing the workplace to be unsafe.

But in a judgment on Oct 18, Justice Vinodh Coomaraswamy said he found that there was, in fact, no slippery area on the floor of the SIA aircraft.

The judge also said he did not accept Mr Durairaj's claim that SIA had breached the duty of care that it owed to him.

Mr Durairaj claimed he had slipped and fallen on a “patch of grease” on the floor of the economy-class galley during a flight from San Francisco to Singapore on Sept 6, 2019.

He said that he still suffers pain in his back and neck while sitting, standing, walking or running, and that he requires frequent breaks and painkillers to cope with the pain.

Mr Durairaj, who was employed by SIA from April 2016 to April 2021 on a salary of $6,058 a month, now works as a customer care analyst in Malaysia, where he earns RM4,200 (S$1,300) a month.

His claim for damages includes almost $700,000 for loss of future earnings.