Widower Sues Airlines After Wife Dies Overseas

A man whose obese wife was denied several flights to the United States has sued the airlines that wouldn’t let her come home.

The husband said his 425 pound wife was turned away from three flights when she attempted to return home from her vacation home in Hungary. According to Reuters, the overweight woman suffered from kidney disease and diabetes. An amputated leg reportedly kept her bound to a wheelchair.

The widower explained that three airlines refused to board the woman, which effectively prevented her from returning to the United States. The couple began vacationing in Budapest in September. However, the pair decided to return to New York after the wife suddenly fell ill.

Although Royal Dutch Airlines originally allowed the couple to board the flight, the captain decided to kick them off after Vilma’s wife had difficulty getting from the wheelchair to her seat.

The Examiner reports that the couple waited around for about five hours before driving to Prague. While Delta Airlines flew the couple from the United States to their vacation home in Hungary, the company could not accommodate the overweight woman since they didn’t have a wheelchair available to transport the wife to her seat.

The lawsuit explained:

“The Delta flight coordinator told Janos and Vilma Soltesz that Delta ‘did not have access to a skylift’ to get Vilma onto the aircraft from the rear, and that there was nothing more Delta could do for them.”

After being removed from a Lufthansa flight, the couple decided to return to their vacation home. Unfortunately, the woman passed away on October 24.

As a result, the widower has decided to sue Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, and Royal Dutch Airlines. The grieving husband is seeking $6 million in damages in the lawsuit. A spokesperson for Delta Airlines said the company has yet to be served with paperwork.

What do you think about the widower who is suing three airlines over the death of his wife?

[Image by Wikimedia Commons]