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News: Man to sue airlines after his 407 pound wife died
Member Since: 5/10/2012
Posts: 10,996
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Man to sue airlines after his 407 pound wife died
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The death of a 407-pound woman after being denied boarding on three flights was "preventable," according to an attorney for the woman's husband, who plans to pursue legal action against three airlines.
Vilma Soltesz, 56, died of kidney failure on Oct. 24 in Hungary, where she and her husband, Janos Soltesz, took an annual vacation to a home they owned in their native country, said Soltesz' attorney, Holly Ostrov-Ronai.
Soltesz, who had health problems, had been trying to get back to the United States, where she could see her doctors, Ostrov-Ronai said.
The couple flew from New York City to Budapest by way of Amsterdam on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Soltesz, who had one leg, got on the flight with the help of an airlift, and used a seatbelt extender when seated, Ostrov-Ronai said, adding that the couple had "no issues at all."
"KLM asked them when they would be flying home so that they could make proper arrangements," Ostrov-Ronai wrote in an email to ABCNews.com.
When the couple went to the airport on Oct. 15 to board a KLM night flight home to New York, they were able to board. However, Ostrov-Ronai said the captain asked Vilma Soltesz to disembark because she could not be secured in her seat due to an issue with a seat back.
"There was simply no legitimate reason in this instance for denying her boarding or forcing her to disembark," Ostrov-Ronai said. "Their failure to make simple accommodations, that had been made prior, led to Vilma's death. This is not best efforts in any regard."
In a statement, KLM said "every effort" was made to help Soltesz.
The couple waited at the airport for five hours while the airline made calls to find an alternative to accommodate Vilma Soltesz.
They were advised to drive to Prague, where they could catch a "bigger plane" operated by Delta Airlines. When they arrived, Ostrov-Ronai said, the couple was told that Delta only had a plastic wheelchair that could not handle Vilma's weight and that there was no sky lift available to get her onto the plane.
Delta spokesman Russel Cason offered the airline's "sincere condolences" for the passing of Vilma Soltesz.
"Despite a determined good-faith effort by Delta in Prague, we were also physically unable to board her on our aircraft on Oct. 16. For this reason there was never an issue with the use of seat belt extenders," he said.
The couple drove back to their home in Hungary and made another effort, this time through Lufthansa, to get back to the United States. When they boarded, they were forced to disembark by the captain, Ostrov-Ronai said, because Vilma was unable to fasten her seatbelt properly.
The airline said it worked with local partners, the fire brigade and technical experts to accommodate Soltesz, but to no avail.
"After several time-consuming attempts it was decided that for the safety of this passenger and the over 140 fellow passengers, Lufthansa had to deny transportation of the passenger," said a statement issued by the airline. "In order to avoid further delays which would have resulted in missed connections and severe inconvenience for other customers on board, this decision was unavoidable."
Two days later, Vilma Soltesz died.
"They passed these people around from airline to airline and treated them with no dignity whatsoever, simply because they didn't want to deal with the situation," Ostrov-Ronai said.
She said Janos Soltesz plans to pursue a lawsuit against the three airlines that denied his wife passage home, where she desperately needed medical treatment.
"Janos is heartbroken," Ostrov-Ronai said. "The only thing that keeps him going day to day is that he wants justice for what was done to Vilma and to try to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else in the future."
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http://gma.yahoo.com/obese-woman-den...opstories.html
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Member Since: 9/5/2012
Posts: 802
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I don't know how to feel about this.
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 28,420
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Honestly, if I voice my opinion on the matter, I'll probably be warned or called rude. So I'd rather not.
Anyway, rest in peace!
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Member Since: 3/27/2012
Posts: 6,274
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That's so sad, R.I.P. to her and sorry to his family, I'll keep you in my prayers 
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Member Since: 1/11/2012
Posts: 14,421
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Quote:
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"In order to avoid further delays which would have resulted in missed connections and severe inconvenience for other customers on board, this decision was unavoidable."
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Yes, I can see how the woman was an inconvenience, but it seems like it would be worth it considering her life was at stake  RIP to her, I hope her husband is successful. They shouldn't have been traveling though if she was having health problems.
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Member Since: 5/3/2012
Posts: 42,099
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Not them denying her a flight to go where she could get the treatment she needed... RIP
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Member Since: 10/6/2011
Posts: 1,735
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For them to provide her one to get there and then deny her one to return home ... just horrible.
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Member Since: 4/20/2012
Posts: 11,335
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I'm confused she had aa kidney failure therefore it's Delta's fault? Those two seem unrelated to me...
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Member Since: 11/20/2010
Posts: 7,042
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I think he should get every penny.
How can you allow her a flight there, but deny her a flight home? Accommodation should of been made, especially if it was life threatening.
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Member Since: 10/15/2011
Posts: 6,480
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The airlines' customer service were poor so they should be held accountable for that, but I don't think they should be blamed for the woman's untimely death (r.i.p.  )
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Member Since: 8/20/2011
Posts: 8,848
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Quote:
Originally posted by J03Y
I'm confused she had aa kidney failure therefore it's Delta's fault? Those two seem unrelated to me...
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It could have been prevented if they would have allowed her on the plane to get to her doctor.
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Member Since: 11/6/2010
Posts: 8,184
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They should have allowed her on the plane. Her life was at stake!
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Member Since: 4/20/2012
Posts: 11,335
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Quote:
Originally posted by Haus_of_Will
It could have been prevented if they would have allowed her on the plane to get to her doctor. |
OH I skipped over that part entirely wow 
But did he at least explain to the airline about their situation? I know that in general they wouldn't care, but I mean you never know it could've probably sped up the process.
I do think it's a bit redundant, they were fine flying her before, but now they suddenly can't that's poor service. And it cost her life. 
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Member Since: 7/15/2012
Posts: 30,915
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they shouldnt have took a trip to a foreign country if she weighed that much and had health problems. i dont know how they could have thought that was a good idea. RIP though
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Member Since: 3/27/2009
Posts: 30,284
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So, the lady (RIP) had health problems, knew she had health problems, and still left the country where there wasn't going to be proficient health-care, yet the family is going to sue the airline because she couldn't fit properly into a seat belt, which is standard policy, and she died because of complications from health problems she knew she had? Maybe I'm just confused, but my condolences.
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Member Since: 2/15/2010
Posts: 26,154
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Americans 
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Banned
Member Since: 8/16/2011
Posts: 9,414
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one person's life >>> other people's convenience
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Member Since: 4/26/2010
Posts: 13,102
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Well there are a few factors I'd like to know;
Why is she that heavy? Due to thyroid issues or is she just fat from over-eating? If it was obesity due to over-eating, her death was inevitable in the coming months anyway.
Why did this family fly across the world to another country when the wife is having health issues? What was there problem with using European healthcare? It's just as good as American healthcare.
This family were flying home earlier than expected to get her healthcare, therefore the company was not prepared to offer her support. I am sure if the original bookings and plans have stood, she would not have been denied access.
IMO The kidney failure is of no fault to the airlines, especially when there is perfectly good healthcare in Europe to avail of.
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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Quote:
Originally posted by Golden
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What does that have to do with anything when she wasn't even departing from America?
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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Quote:
Originally posted by -Lewymocha-
Well there are a few factors I'd like to know;
Why is she that heavy? Due to thyroid issues or is she just fat from over-eating? If it was obesity due to over-eating, her death was inevitable in the coming months anyway.
Why did this family fly across the world to another country when the wife is having health issues? What was there problem with using European healthcare? It's just as good as American healthcare.
This family were flying home earlier than expected to get her healthcare, therefore the company was not prepared to offer her support. I am sure if the original bookings and plans have stood, she would not have been denied access.
IMO The kidney failure is of no fault to the airlines, especially when there is perfectly good healthcare in Europe to avail of.
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That's my thoughts. You can't really be selective all the time.
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