Airlines not liable for deep vein thrombosis

In a test case, the House of Lords has held that airlines are not obliged to compensate passengers who suffer deep vein thrombosis from cramped seating conditions, because liability under international rules requires there to have been an "accident". The decision in Deep Vein Thrombosis and Air Group Litigation (House of Lords 8 December 2005 [2005] UKHL) is in line with judgments in other countries and is an important illustration of the benefits and disbenefits of strict liability systems that have been introduced for some industries.