Ferrari owner who cannot look after his car after being injured on jet steps is awarded £100k

A classic car enthusiast who can no longer look after his beloved Ferrari after slipping and falling while getting off an aeroplane has been awarded more than £100,000 in compensation.

Carmelo Labbadia, 77, broke his right shoulder and pelvis when he fell headfirst down the snow-covered steps of an Alitalia jet parked at Milan airport during a February 2015 business trip.

The injuries left him with lasting pain and a limp and forced him to give up gardening, DIY and looking after his collection of classic cars, which includes a Ferrari. He sued the airline, arguing it was liable to pay damages under the Montreal Convention which governs international air travel.

After a High Court civil trial, Judge Margaret Obi ruled that Mr Labbadia was not responsible for the fall and the airline must pay him £106,344 in damages. “In my judgment, Mr Labbadia was not the author of his own misfortune,” she said. “He did nothing other than descend the disembarkation steps on the instructions of the airline.”

The consultant engineer from Stanford-le-Hope in Essex now has weakness in his shoulder, loss of mobility in his wrist, and problems with walking or standing for long periods.

Judge Obi rejected the airline’s claim that the fall was not an “accident” under the rules, and said Mr Labbadia could “reasonably” have expected the stairs to be free from compacted snow.

The payout includes provision for help with household tasks and £5,000 towards the upkeep of his classic cars.