Judo Coach Blames JetBlue for Permanent Eye Injury From Hot Coffee Spill

BRIGHTON BEACH, New York — A Team USA judo coach has filed a lawsuit after suffering permanent vision loss in his right eye due to a hot coffee spill on a JetBlue flight. Arturas Lanchinskas, 30, was traveling to the Pan American Judo Championships in Lima, Peru, in July 2023 when the incident occurred.

Lanchinskas, a third-degree black belt and owner of the Darfight Martial Arts school, claims that a flight attendant accidentally dropped a pot of coffee while serving another passenger. The spill caused severe burns to his face and eye, he said.

“It felt like a surge of fire hit the surface of my eyeball,” Lanchinskas told The New York Post. “The pain was sharp and immediate, like a burning needle.” A fellow passenger, who happened to be a doctor, jumped in to help, advising Lanchinskas to rinse his eye repeatedly.

Despite his need for assistance, Lanchinskas reported that flight attendants criticized him for frequent trips to the bathroom, which he needed to alleviate his injury. Lanchinskas’s attorney, Erin R. Applebaum, recounted, “He was even told, ‘Sir, you’re not the only one on the airplane, we have other guests who need to use the facilities.’”

After landing in Peru, Lanchinskas was treated at a hospital for the burns he sustained. Medical professionals in New York City later diagnosed him with a thermal injury and chemical burn to his right eye, resulting in reduced vision and heightened sensitivity to light.

Lanchinskas’s martial arts school is currently ranked second in the nation by USA Judo. Team USA recently celebrated success at the Pan American U15 Championships. JetBlue has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.