Widower sues airline for €5m over death of obese wife refused seat on three flights

Lelantos · 13-02-2013 07:02PM

hardCopy wrote: »

That's the best you could come up with after two weeks?

Yeah, it'd magyar sick wouldnt it

The Purveyor of Truth · 09-09-2014 11:13AM

Yesterday he was awarded $6m:

EXCLUSIVE: Airlines settle $6M lawsuit in death of Bronx woman who was 'too fat' to fly home to the U.S.

The husband of a Bronx woman who died abroad after she was allegedly barred from flying back to the U.S. for being too fat has settled his $6 million lawsuit against the airlines, the Daily News has learned.

Janos Soltesz, 57, quietly settled his wrongful death suit against Delta, KLM Royal Dutch and Lufthansa airlines in late August, court documents show.

The suit accused the airlines of having sent his 407-pound wife Vilma "on a debilitating 'wild goose chase' from airline to airline, airport to home, and country to country" that caused her to lose her life in Oct. 2012.

The court action charged the airlines with causing her death, saying they'd shown "a willful, wanton and reckless disregard" for Vilma's safety by having "intentionally refused to make the proper accommodations for her."

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Soltesz's lawyer and reps for Delta and Lufthansa declined comment. KLM did not respond to requests for comment.

Senna · 09-09-2014 11:19AM

Doesn't say he was awarded $6m, only that the case is settled, he might have got costs only

seamus · 09-09-2014 11:22AM

The Purveyor of Truth wrote: »

Yesterday he was awarded $6m:

Correction: Yesterday he settled for far less than $6m.

He was suing for $6m, if he settled that means that they offered him less and he accepted it.

Chances are the airlines knew that if it went to court, a court might sympathise and offer him some level of compensation, but he also had the very real chance of losing, so they probably offered him costs and a few thousand dollars to go away.

bucketybuck · 09-09-2014 11:23AM

The Purveyor of Truth wrote: »

Yesterday he was awarded $6m:

Need to change your username I think, thats not the truth.

Maximus Alexander · 09-09-2014 11:31AM

On the one hand, it's easy to mock the woman anonymously and just forget the fact that regardless of anything else, she was a human being. On the other hand, my mind truly boggles as to how someone can let themselves get into that state. I genuinely can't wrap my head around it.

The Purveyor of Truth · 09-09-2014 11:32AM

bucketybuck wrote: »

Need to change your username I think, thats not the truth.

It was my truth though, as I thought they had

Apologies.

I seriously doubt he was just awarded costs mind. Usually when both parties agree not to make public comment, it is because the side with most to lose from a PR point of view, has a made a significant offer of compensation close to what was being sought.

endacl · 09-09-2014 11:38AM

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

On the one hand, it's easy to mock the woman anonymously and just forget the fact that regardless of anything else, she was a human being. On the other hand, my mind truly boggles as to how someone can let themselves get into that state. I genuinely can't wrap my head around it.

By my reckoning, she was at least three human beings.

ruthloss · 09-09-2014 11:47AM

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

On the one hand, it's easy to mock the woman anonymously and just forget the fact that regardless of anything else, she was a human being. On the other hand, my mind truly boggles as to how someone can let themselves get into that state. I genuinely can't wrap my head around it.

She was over 30 stone in weight! (if my maths are right) the poor woman must have been very ill.

kylith · 09-09-2014 12:08PM

The only way I can see that any plane could have gotten her on board is if it was in a heated hold, such as they use when transporting animals.

I feel bad for the woman, that she couldn't get to the US for treatment, but at the same time it's a state she got herself into. Yes, there are some medical conditions that can cause weight gain, but to get to over 30 stone requires some serious effort on her part.

ireland.man · 09-09-2014 12:20PM

I think when a person gets to be that weight, it should be almost always considered a mental health problem. It sounds like a slower form of suicide.

Very sad story and I can't imagine the anxiety and sadness the husband felt trying to care for a loved one in the that state.

ruthloss · 09-09-2014 01:15PM

ireland.man wrote: »

I think when a person gets to be that weight, it should be almost always considered a mental health problem. It sounds like a slower form of suicide.

Very sad story and I can't imagine the anxiety and sadness the husband felt trying to care for a loved one in the that state.

Lovely post.

Pumpkinseeds · 09-09-2014 01:31PM

jenniferalan wrote: »

Im sorry now that i clicked that!!

Reminds me of that scene in Willy Wonka where the spoiled kid blows up like a balloon and has to be rolled to the squeezing room before she explodes.

Widower sues airline for €5m over death of obese wife refused seat on three flights

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