Teenager sues Virgin Australia after suffering burns to genitals during flight

A Victorian teenager who suffered burns to his genitals when a coffee was spilt on an international flight is suing Virgin Australia.

Rhett Butler, 16, suffered burns, blisters and scarring to his thighs, groin, genitals and midriff when a cup of coffee served by cabin crew slipped from a tray table into his lap on the May 2015 flight, according to a statement of claim filed in the County Court of Victoria.

The incident occurred soon after take-off on the Los Angeles to Sydney flight and Rhett's father, Brian Butler, had to provide medical assistance for the rest of the journey in the "absence" of help from the crew, the claim states.

It is alleged the tray table did not have a recess to hold a cup securely and was defective, tilting downwards towards the teen.

Virgin Australia on Monday confirmed "an incident did occur on flight VA2 from Los Angeles to Sydney on 3 May 2015".

"Virgin Australia takes the safety and comfort of our passengers extremely seriously, however given this particular matter has not yet been resolved it would not be appropriate to comment any further," a company spokeswoman said in a statement.