A single mum is seeking compensation from Qantas after a turbulent flight left her with life-changing hearing damage.
Joanna Spooner, 34, and her two children were flying from Hamilton Island to Brisbane in September 2015 when their flight was hit by turbulence.
She has permanent hearing loss and may never be able to fly again despite two years of ongoing medical treatment.
Now she is suing QantasLink, Qantas’ regional brand, for compensation.
A single mum (pictured) is seeking compensation from Qantas after a turbulent flight left her with life-changing hearing damage
Joanna Spooner, 34, and her two children (pictured) were flying from Hamilton Island to Brisbane in in September 2015 when their flight was hit by turbulence
‘I can’t even hear my baby cry,’ Ms Spooner told Daily Mail Australia, and says her hearing damage means she is no longer able to work.
She needs assistance taking care of her young children, and says the whole experience has been a ‘living hell’.
She has been using a donated hearing aid, but needs one that is anchored to the bone.
That device costs $25,000, a hefty sum added on to the money she has already been forced to spend on her and her children’s injuries.
Ms Spooner (pictured) has permanent hearing loss and may never be able to fly again despite two years of ongoing medical treatment
‘I can’t even hear my baby cry,’ Ms Spooner (pictured with son Malakai, left, and daughter Mahala, right) said
To make matters worse, Ms Spooner has not been given medical clearance to fly, meaning she is unable to visit family interstate or take planned overseas holidays.
The ordeal began when Ms Spooner, nine-month-old Malakai and 11-year-old Mahala were on their way back from Daydream Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Ms Spooner said she and daughter Mahala experienced sharp pain as the plane was hit by severe turbulence.
The statement of claims filed in the Brisbane Supreme Court states the small Dash 8 aircraft experienced turbulence from soon after take-off until landing.
Ms Spooner (pictured with son Malakai, left, and daughter Mahala, right) needs assistance taking care of her young children, and says the whole experience has been a ‘living hell’
‘It was hellish, even a big burly bloke from the mines said he couldn’t handle it and said he was going to be sick,’ Ms Spooner said.
‘We were joking that if a guy like that was struggling it must be bad.’
Her son Malakai had a hard time throughout the flight and eventually found to have a ruptured eardrum.
‘Fluid had leaked from the rupture around his newly-formed eardrum and set as hard as concrete,’ Ms Spooner said.
‘He was in so much pain and I could tell the nurse was horrified at what came out.’
The ordeal began when Ms Spooner (pictured, centre), nine-month-old Malakai (pictured, right) and 11-year-old Mahala (pictured, left) were on their way back from Daydream Island on the Great Barrier Reef
Ms Spooner had to physically restrain her son during the procedure because he was too young to be given a sedative.
Malakai’s sister Mahala suffered months of pain and discomfort, telling her mother ‘her ears wouldn’t pop’, but has since recovered.
Ms Spooner visited eight different doctors before a CT scan revealed damage her GP feared was a tumour.
After being diagnosed with barotrauma and perilymph fistula – where inner ear fluid leaks into the middle ear – in her right ear she was told to have surgery immediately.
Mahala (pictured) suffered months of pain and discomfort, telling her mother ‘her ears wouldn’t pop’, but has since recovered
Ms Spooner said in her statement of claims neither she nor or children were sick at the time of the flight and have no history of hearing problems.
Shine Lawyers Aviation Law Solicitor David Adams said in a legal comment cabin pressure can cause oratory injuries.
‘Under the Montreal Convention, an airline is strictly liable for any “accident” occurring onboard or during embarkation or disembarkation of an aircraft,’ he said.
‘An “accident” has several criteria to meet, and one is that a physical injury must arise. We consider that damage or injury to the ear drum is a physical injury for the purpose of an “accident” arising.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted Qantas for comment.
Malakai (pictured) had a hard time throughout the flight and eventually found to have a ruptured eardrum