A traveller is suing the Orient Express after she was thrown from her seat and paralysed during birthday and wedding anniversary celebrations.

Sylvia Brown, 60, was left permanently wheelchair-bound last year when the Eastern Orient Express suddenly jolted to a halt, severely injuring her spine.

"It stopped with an almighty bang," she said. "There was nothing to grab, and I flew up into the air, and kept turning and turning until I hit the deck."

Mrs Brown landed awkwardly, with her shoulder hitting the seating while the rest of her body was on the floor, resulting in a severe spinal injury.

After more than two weeks in intensive care, Mrs Brown was flown to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, where she was found to have C-difficile, put into isolation and was unable to hold down food.

Later she developed a blood clot in her upper thigh which moved to her lungs.

"At times the pain was unbelievable," she added. "Sometimes I just screamed with agony trying to perform the simplest tasks."

The ‘journey of a lifetime’ trip cost Mrs Brown more than £7,000 and was intended to be a romantic celebration with her husband, John. But now the couple look set for a lengthy legal battle as neither Eastern Orient Express, its parent company Venice Simplon Orient Express Ltd, nor Bath Travel, through which the Browns made the booking, has accepted liability.

It is believed the legal dispute has resulted from the cause of the accident never being determined, meaning it remains unclear who is to blame. Lawyers acting for Mrs Brown issued proceedings against all three companies in the High Court last week, although a hearing is expected to be several months away.

Mrs Brown has since sold her Exeter home and now lives in a specially adapted bungalow with her husband.

People who have been injured through no fault of their own should contact Fosters personal injury solicitors Heather Duffy on 01603 723792 or email hduffy@fosters-solicitors.co.uk or Stephen Green on 01603 723738 or email sgreen@fosters-solicitors.co.uk.