Frontier Airlines passenger left with 'unsightly' disfigured penis after spilling scalding hot tea

Sean Miller, 56, was flying from his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Philadelphia when he spilled the “scalding” drink, which was filled to the brim, between his lap

"Scalding" hot tea spilled on a Frontier Airlines passenger's lap has left him with “disfiguring scars” on his penis, according to a new lawsuit.

Sean Miller, 56, was flying from his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Philadelphia when he spiled the “scalding” drink, which was filled to the brim, causing “highly unsightly and embarrassing discoloration on his penis, scrotum/testicles,” and “significantly decreased sensation in his penis”, his lawyer, Adam S Barrist has claimed.

The passenger was left in "agony" while his body "burnt" as he was unable to get up from his seat. “Due to the tightly-situated plane seat configuration, Mr Miller was unable to get up from his seat after the spill and, instead, was trapped in agonising pain while his body was being burnt,” his lawyer claimed.

Once the plane landed on September 20, emergency services met Miller and he was rushed to to Jefferson Medical Hospital’s burn centre and treated for severe third-degree burns. The burns caused permanent scarring on and around his genitals and Miller “has been encountering sexual dysfunction” ever since, his lawyer claimed. Miller is claiming $150,000 (£120,000) in damages from the airline incident after claiming it caused him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and sexual dysfunction.

Miller, who had requested hot tea during cabin service, claims the “scalding” hot water was handed to him “in highly negligent fashion, filled to the brim, at an unsafely and unreasonably high temperature and without any form of a lid,” according to the lawsuit. He then spilled the drink between his legs. Miller claims he’s endured “great physical and mental pain and anguish” since the tea spillage, which will likely continue well into the future, “if not for the balance of his natural life.”

The lawsuit includes a list of injuries Miller has suffered since the incident including pinched and damaged nerves, neck pain, embarrassment, emotional harm, as well as strains, sprains, disc bulges, and disc herniations throughout his body.

Miller's lawyer has claimed they have sent letters to Frontier but have not heard back. "Despite multiple letters sent to Frontier Airlines via FedEx overnight courier, I have not received no communication, of any kind, back from Frontier Airlines, concerning, among other issues, the payment of my client's past medical bills and payment for his ongoing treatment," Mr Barrist told the Independent. "It was, therefore, necessary to institute suit right away."

The airline said they don't comment on pending lawsuits. “As a matter of standard practice, we don’t comment on pending litigation,” a Frontier spokesperson said on Thursday.