A former Cathay Pacific flight attendant who injured her spine at work has been granted legal aid to sue the airline.
Lawyers for 37-year-old Kavita Chilkuri are expected to launch proceedings at the District Court in the next four weeks to claim personal damages, injuries and loss of income.
Ms Chilkuri was hit by a fully loaded food trolley on a flight from Bangkok in October 1996, resulting in injuries to her spine that caused constant pain to her back and left leg.
Three spinal specialists diagnosed a displaced disc, with a long-term impact on her health. The airline has paid for two operations on her spine, but her condition did not improve.
She was sacked in May last year after several periods of sick leave following the accident.
'I had asked Cathay to settle my issue in a civilised manner, but they chose to push me to this stage,' said Ms Chilkuri, who now lives in Singapore with her husband and two children.
'I and my legal team are very confident of the outcome. I would not have pursued this case if there was no moral or legal standing to the case. Cathay has tried to check my resolve and thought I would not last that long.'
