Can't really find any cases similar to this Qantas event. The only cases I can find are regarding physical injury or phycological trauma associated with physical injury. Based on what I have read it is very unlikely that any of these Qantas passengers would have a case.
According to the Montreal Convention, Sanger says, a passenger injured during a flight must prove just two things to be eligible for compensation: he or she was traveling on an international itinerary, and there was an accident.
An accident is defined as an “unusual or unexpected event external to the passenger” and can occur during pre-flight activities and when disembarking, as well. Light turbulence does not count, but severe turbulence—like that experienced last month on an United Airlines flight from Houston to London—does. Beyond turbulence, hot coffee spilling on a passenger during a choppy ride, overhead items falling on a customer’s head, or glass found in a salad are all real life examples of in-flight accidents governed by the Montreal Convention. “I had a client whose finger was cut off when someone else pushed the button to raise their seat,” Sanger says.
Passengers looking to get reimbursed can seek payment by appealing directly to the airline. If the carrier doesn't pay, the passenger's other option is to file a lawsuit. They can expect to at least be compensated for the total of their medical and treatment bills. (One of Sanger's clients received more than $1 million for a broken neck.) Of course, there are caveats. The pain and suffering must be physical, as case law no longer favors a passenger who may have suffered mental or emotional trauma from a particularly rocky flight.
To receive money for injuries sustained during turbulence on a domestic flight, a person must prove that the airline was negligent, which requires a lot more evidence, expert testimony, and witnesses. This additional legal work means the injured passenger could end up paying more in lawyer fees than what he or she would win from a trial, making litigation an unattractive option.
Injured Because of Turbulence? You Can Get Money For That