A House of Lords decision to exonerate airline companies from paying compensation for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) sufferers signaled the end for similar claims, lawyers have said.
John Balfour, a partner with Beaumont & Son Aviation at Clyde & Co, lead lawyers in the original case for British Airways, said the failure of the appeal would result in other claims being dropped.
The House of Lords quashed the appeal on the basis that the onset of DVT caused by air travel did not meet the definition of an accident under the Warsaw Convention, which governs airline regulations.
The decision, which was unanimous, said that the definition of an accident related to an event or happening, which was more than the normal operation of the aircraft and external to the passenger.
Balfour said: "This is not a surprise judgment. This case had been made at the Court of Appeal and similar cases had come before courts in other countries.
"It confirms at the highest level in this country...it is the end of the story for DVT claims suffered on aircraft."
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