An elderly Australian woman is suing Singapore Airlines (SIA) for an injury she allegedly picked up while on board one of its flights.

Mrs Jennifer Green, 71, has filed a suit in the Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia, SIA confirmed yesterday.

The incident happened on July 31, 2014, when Mrs Green and her husband, Colin, were on board SIA Flight 228 from Melbourne to Singapore.

Mrs Green alleges that a flight attendant spilled a tray of drinks on her husband's lap, which caused him to "jerk" into her.

The incident caused her to injure her right foot, after she hit it against her seat's metal footrest.

This, she claims, aggravated her diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, reported the Australian newspaper, The Age.

Mrs Green is asking SIA to compensate her for the resulting hospital and medical expenses.

The Age reported that Mrs Green said in the writ that the mishap caused her "soft-tissue injury caused by a blow to the right lower leg; development of right leg cellulitis caused by the said blow to the right lower leg; aggravation of rheumatoid arthritis; aggravation of type 1 diabetes".

The writ also said her prognosis is "uncertain".

SIA said it is unable to comment on queries from The Straits Times on its next course of action, whether the flight attendant is still working with SIA, and whether it is in touch with the couple.

"Singapore Airlines can confirm that a suit has been filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria but we are unable to comment beyond that as it is now a matter before the courts," an airline spokesman said.