THE owner of a large shipping company yesterday filed a civil suit against an international airline, seeking several hundred thousand pesos for a fractured ring finger.

In the suit, Victor Chiongbian asked the court to compel Continental Airlines to pay him over P800,000 for his injury.

He said he was injured because the airline “failed to observe utmost diligence in carrying out its duty to carry the plaintiff safely to his destination.”

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And Chiongbian is no stranger to common carrier laws.

The Cebuano businessman’s family owns William Lines, one of the companies that merged with two other firms to form the shipping giant WG&A in 1996.

Chiongbian said he was a passenger of the US-registered Continental Airlines last June 5, taking its Manila-Koror, Palau flight, as well as the return trip five days later.

But on his return, he met an accident while checking-in at the airport in Palau, an independent state 800 kilometers east of the Philippines that is known for its good dive spots.

He said the accident happened after the Continental Airline employee manning the check-in counter opened a 40-pound cooler Chiongbian brought with him and instructed him to transfer its contents to a plastic container they provided.

He said he was further instructed to leave the check-in counter with the 40-pound cooler and to complete the transfer of the cooler’s content somewhere else.

“Despite the fact that the plaintiff is already a senior citizen and was carrying a 40-pound cooler, nobody of the defendant’s employees assisted him in the carrying of the said cooler and transferring the things inside to cooler to the thick plastic,” he said.

While lugging the 40-pound container, Chiongbian said he slipped while still inside the check-in area. He said the fall fractured his left ring finger.

It immediately swelled and was painful, he said.

Still, “none of the defendant’s personnel offered assistance of any kind, especially first aid,” he said.

He said he had to take care of things himself, buying an ice pack to reduce the swelling and then having himself admitted to the Makati Medical Center upon arrival in Manila.

According to Chiongbian, the doctor who treated him believes it will take three to four months for his fractured finger to be healed.

In the meantime, he said, he has already incurred P191,460.17 in medical expenses.

He wants the court to order Continental Airlines to reimburse him that amount of actual damage, plus P300,000 in moral damages and P100,000 more “to serve as an example for the public good.”

He also asks the court to order the airline to pay an additional P230,000 in lawyers’ fees and litigation expenses.