A nurse who suffered serious burns during a Ryanair flight has now been awarded an £4,350 out-of-court settlement, in what she's termed "an absolute shocker".

Denise Elliott, 63, had been flying with friends to Majorca from Bournemouth when she was given a coffee cup without a protective lid, with the steward informing her they'd run out.

According to Denise, from Southsea, near Portsmouth, she then placed the cup on the tray table, which she has blasted "as clearly not fit for purpose". It comes as lawyers are seeing a spike in holidaymakers suffering these sort of injuries due to sloping tray tables on planes.

The holidaymaker said: "Ryanair said that I lied about there being no lids, but that’s just not true as other people heard him say that. I don’t know what happened after that as, the next thing I knew, the coffee was all over my thighs. I didn’t knock it; otherwise, it would have gone sideways and not into my lap. Those flimsy trays on Ryanair planes are clearly not fit for purpose, but I also think those little grooves that keep your cups in are more dangerous than helpful."

Holiday disrupted before she and pals so much as touched down in sunny Spain, medical professional Denise claims she was even forced to perform first aid on herself, and has criticised attempts made by staff to treat her injuries.

• Underrated European city that's walkable and without crowds is perfect for winter escape

Denise shared: "I assumed the stewards on the plane were first-aid-trained, but that was not the case. I put my dress over my lap to help, but I needed something absorbent covered in cold water so I could douse the temperature out of it (the burns). I asked them for a towel, or something like that, but they said they didn’t have anything on board like that, so I had to do my own first aid. When they did bring something, they first brought me some dry paper towels, and I was lost for words.

"After that, they came back with some wipes, but it turned out they were surface wipes, which, of course, contain alcohol. Eventually, somebody came up with a bottle of burn gel. We asked to keep it for a second application, but the steward said that wasn’t possible, and it had to go back into the first-aid kit. It was an absolute shocker.”

Denise’s flight injury claim, made under the Montreal Convention, which governs international air travel, was taken up by Hudgell Solicitors, specialists in overseas accidents. From the outset, Ryanair denied liability and ended up agreeing to a £4,350 settlement shortly before going to trial.

According to Denise: "I didn’t want to make a fuss, but what really got my goat was Ryanair’s lack of urgency. It was never about money, but they didn’t listen and just kept batting my questions away – that’s what made me pursue a claim. Hudgells did a great job, and I was really happy with the result, but what upsets me the most is that I genuinely don’t think Ryanair will ever change.

"Luckily, I know about first aid, but imagine if it was a child or an elderly person? Who knows what might have happened? My advice if this happens to anyone is to keep fighting and don’t give up, as you’ve got nothing to lose."

Meanwhile, Tracy Stansfield, senior associate solicitor for Hudgell Solicitors, issued the following statement: "It’s always a daunting prospect, taking on a household name like Ryanair, but the corporate giants of this world are just as accountable for their actions as the rest of us.

"Denise believed in the truth, and we were glad that she achieved a degree of closure for what happened on that flight, which is becoming an all-too-familiar story for holidaymakers. Over the last few years, we have noticed a growing trend of holidaymakers suffering in-flight burns, often because of sloping tray tables on planes. For the sake of their customers, this is something Ryanair and other airlines need to urgently fix."

The Mirror has reached out to Ryanair for additional comment.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

• 'My top winter buy is on sale - a self-heating blanket that costs nothing to run'