Laptop written off when passenger reclined his seat.
Sep 4, 2019, 2:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Singapore
Posts: 14
Laptop written off when passenger reclined his seat.
While travelling economy long haul, I was working with my laptop on the tray table.
An hour later the passenger in front reclined his seat and the screen of my laptop became wedged between the tray table recess in the back of the seat and the tray table.
The passenger in front wearing large headphones couldn't hear my request to stop pushing his seat back, then forced his seat back to the extent, my laptop screen shattered.
I called cabin crew and the passenger, without taking off his headphones, was unconcerned about the damage he caused and more interested in his rights to recline his seat.
The crew denied my request for the passengers name and address, nor would they confirm whether the seat number is his assigned one.
The crew moved me to another seat for the rest of the flight, but my laptop is a write-off.
My travel insurance refuses to pay because the damage was deliberate.
Does anyone know what remedies I have? And from where?
An hour later the passenger in front reclined his seat and the screen of my laptop became wedged between the tray table recess in the back of the seat and the tray table.
The passenger in front wearing large headphones couldn't hear my request to stop pushing his seat back, then forced his seat back to the extent, my laptop screen shattered.
I called cabin crew and the passenger, without taking off his headphones, was unconcerned about the damage he caused and more interested in his rights to recline his seat.
The crew denied my request for the passengers name and address, nor would they confirm whether the seat number is his assigned one.
The crew moved me to another seat for the rest of the flight, but my laptop is a write-off.
My travel insurance refuses to pay because the damage was deliberate.
Does anyone know what remedies I have? And from where?
Sep 4, 2019, 2:24 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Without details, hard to say much. What air carrier, between what two airports?
Whether and how you can sue the guy and how you might obtain his name and address are a matter of the details required above.
Neither surprising that the cabin crew would not provide passenger details and equally not surprising that travel insurance won't cover deliberate damage.
If you were working, what about your business interruption insurance?
Whether and how you can sue the guy and how you might obtain his name and address are a matter of the details required above.
Neither surprising that the cabin crew would not provide passenger details and equally not surprising that travel insurance won't cover deliberate damage.
If you were working, what about your business interruption insurance?
Sep 4, 2019, 2:47 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
Many people have been in your shoes and sorry to say but unless you can prove the person maliciously reclined to cause damage you're going to be SOL (IANAL). I do suggest having your employer cover the damage as it occurred outside of your control while on business.
For the future and for others when I plan to do laptop work on a plane I speak to the person in front of me during boarding to ask for a heads up when they plan to recline their seat so I can adjust the laptop. 8 times out of 10 they don't recline at all during the flight and 9 out of 10 they do let me know.
For the future and for others when I plan to do laptop work on a plane I speak to the person in front of me during boarding to ask for a heads up when they plan to recline their seat so I can adjust the laptop. 8 times out of 10 they don't recline at all during the flight and 9 out of 10 they do let me know.
Sep 4, 2019, 2:55 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,029
While travelling economy long haul, I was working with my laptop on the tray table.
An hour later the passenger in front reclined his seat and the screen of my laptop became wedged between the tray table recess in the back of the seat and the tray table.
The passenger in front wearing large headphones couldn't hear my request to stop pushing his seat back, then forced his seat back to the extent, my laptop screen shattered.
I called cabin crew and the passenger, without taking off his headphones, was unconcerned about the damage he caused and more interested in his rights to recline his seat.
The crew denied my request for the passengers name and address, nor would they confirm whether the seat number is his assigned one.
The crew moved me to another seat for the rest of the flight, but my laptop is a write-off.
My travel insurance refuses to pay because the damage was deliberate.
Does anyone know what remedies I have? And from where?
An hour later the passenger in front reclined his seat and the screen of my laptop became wedged between the tray table recess in the back of the seat and the tray table.
The passenger in front wearing large headphones couldn't hear my request to stop pushing his seat back, then forced his seat back to the extent, my laptop screen shattered.
I called cabin crew and the passenger, without taking off his headphones, was unconcerned about the damage he caused and more interested in his rights to recline his seat.
The crew denied my request for the passengers name and address, nor would they confirm whether the seat number is his assigned one.
The crew moved me to another seat for the rest of the flight, but my laptop is a write-off.
My travel insurance refuses to pay because the damage was deliberate.
Does anyone know what remedies I have? And from where?
Sep 4, 2019, 3:55 pm
#5
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Join Date: Aug 2009
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Posts: 13,811
Not necessary.
Airlines is definitely out because the laptop was outside the airline's control. In term of the pax causing the damage, it simply will take too many efforts without a proved success.
Your best bet is with the travel insurance, even denied. First, you should file a complain with your state's insurance commissioner (IC) first. The IC will help you getting the insurance company back to the table to work out a solution. If not, then you can go after the insurance company for insurance bad faith.
Airlines is definitely out because the laptop was outside the airline's control. In term of the pax causing the damage, it simply will take too many efforts without a proved success.
Your best bet is with the travel insurance, even denied. First, you should file a complain with your state's insurance commissioner (IC) first. The IC will help you getting the insurance company back to the table to work out a solution. If not, then you can go after the insurance company for insurance bad faith.
Sep 5, 2019, 9:16 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum; Amex Plat; Four Seasons; Fairmont; HH; etc.; "Retirees-In-Training"
Posts: 658
Not necessary.
Airlines is definitely out because the laptop was outside the airline's control. In term of the pax causing the damage, it simply will take too many efforts without a proved success.
Your best bet is with the travel insurance, even denied. First, you should file a complain with your state's insurance commissioner (IC) first. The IC will help you getting the insurance company back to the table to work out a solution. If not, then you can go after the insurance company for insurance bad faith.
Airlines is definitely out because the laptop was outside the airline's control. In term of the pax causing the damage, it simply will take too many efforts without a proved success.
Your best bet is with the travel insurance, even denied. First, you should file a complain with your state's insurance commissioner (IC) first. The IC will help you getting the insurance company back to the table to work out a solution. If not, then you can go after the insurance company for insurance bad faith.
"Deliberate"? On whose part?
Surely they can't claim that you DELIBERATELY damaged the laptop in this case.
And do they really think that the person in front of you DELIBERATELY damaged your laptop?
That type of reasoning gets absurd quickly, e.g., A step on a staircase gave way, but the injured person "deliberately was walking down the stairs" (!??)
It sounds like the laptop got "caught" in a very unlikely-but-specific problem spot. If it had been against the regular seat back, it probably would just have closed the top (?). This clearly seems like an accidental event, and not one that could easily have been foreseen, er, until one learns about this possibility...
If you can reach an actual claims adjuster, and the conversation isn't antagonistic (yet!), then I've found that playing "naive" often helps... as in... "Gee... I'm not sure this is how it's supposed to work. Do you think the State Insurance Commissioner's Office could help to straighten out whether "deliberate" really applies here?"
Worth a try.
Or just go straight to the Commissioner's Office.
Insurance is, thank goodness, a regulated industry. No guarantee of satisfaction, of course, but a good place to start, and a better chance than for other problems.
GC
Sep 7, 2019, 6:51 am
#7
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Sorry to hear about the ordeal and your laptop.
Almost all newer aircraft nowadays allow you to adjust your tray table. I have always pulled the table toward me, and ensure my laptop is in a perpendicular position. When the passenger in front of me reclines, at most the seat would only change the position angle of my laptop.
While the laptop may no longer be usable, the data should still be intact and recoverable.
Also, is the damage computer an asset for work? Did the event happen while you are traveling for work? If both, check with your work folks, and their insurance may be able to provide reimbursement (not to you).
Almost all newer aircraft nowadays allow you to adjust your tray table. I have always pulled the table toward me, and ensure my laptop is in a perpendicular position. When the passenger in front of me reclines, at most the seat would only change the position angle of my laptop.
While the laptop may no longer be usable, the data should still be intact and recoverable.
Also, is the damage computer an asset for work? Did the event happen while you are traveling for work? If both, check with your work folks, and their insurance may be able to provide reimbursement (not to you).
Sep 7, 2019, 7:15 am
#8
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
OP has never returned with the details. Without those, the speculation here is anywhere between useless and dangerous.
OP lists his location as Singapore and it is not clear where his flight was operating or on what carrier he was flying. Yet, people suggest complaining to a "state" insurance commissioner.
All points to the fact that his next steps, if any, are dependent on local law somewhere. There really are people who do not live in and who do not fly between points in the US.
OP lists his location as Singapore and it is not clear where his flight was operating or on what carrier he was flying. Yet, people suggest complaining to a "state" insurance commissioner.
All points to the fact that his next steps, if any, are dependent on local law somewhere. There really are people who do not live in and who do not fly between points in the US.