Southwest Airlines Faces Lawsuit After Hot Coffee Burns 4-Year-Old Boy Mid-Flight

Southwest Airlines has been sued by a Utah couple after their 4-year-old son suffered second-degree burns when a flight attendant allegedly spilled boiling coffee on him during a flight from Orlando to Salt Lake City in September 2024.

The parents, Ryan and Kamrie Wong, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging negligence and emotional distress. According to the complaint, a flight attendant carrying a drink tray extended a cup of hot coffee over the child and spilled it onto his body, causing the boy to cry out in pain, screaming, “It’s so hot!”

The Wongs claim the airline staff failed to offer an apology or provide proper medical attention during the flight. Although paramedics met the family during a layover in Chicago, the complaint states that a Southwest gate agent exacerbated the boy’s injuries by forcing him to sit directly on the burn area. The family further alleged that crew members on their return flight to Salt Lake City offered no assistance.

As a result of the incident, the child reportedly suffers from ongoing pain, scarring, and psychological effects, including embarrassment at school and difficulty sitting for extended periods.

The Wongs’ attorney, Mark Lindquist, criticized the airline’s response, stating, “Airlines need to do better.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for negligence. Southwest Airlines has not yet issued a comment on the case.

This incident is not isolated. Lindquist is also representing a Washington state woman in a separate case against Delta Air Lines, claiming similar injuries from a coffee spill. That lawsuit, filed last September, is still pending.

The Southwest case is filed under Wong et al v. Southwest Airlines Co, Case No. 25-04116.