A wrongful death lawsuit against several airlines brought by the husband of a woman deemed "too fat" to fly was settled in late August for $6 million, the New York Daily News reported.
Vilma Soltesz, who was 407 pounds, died in Hungary in October 2012 after KLM Royal Dutch, Delta and Lufthansa airlines would not fly her home to Bronx, New York, to receive medical attention. She was 56.
The airlines sent Soltesz "on a debilitating 'wild goose chase' from airline to airline, airport to home, and country to country," that brought about her death, according to the lawsuit filed by the victim's husband, 57-year-old Janos Soltesz.
Janos Soltesz and his wheelchair-bound wife had no problem when they flew to their native Hungary in September 2012. But chaos ensued when they tried to fly back to see her Bronx doctor to "adjust her medication or prescribe new medication," reads the suit obtained by the Daily News.
Vilma, who was already feeling sick, boarded a KLM plane with her husband at a Budapest airport on Oct. 15. Once on the plane, they learned "the backs of two seats in their row were broken," so Vilma could not move from her wheelchair to the seats.
KLM staff ordered them off the plane without offering to change their seats, according to the suit. They were told Delta would be able to accommodate them and "there would be no further issues."
They arrived at an airport in Prague- a five hour drive- the very next day. But once they tried to board "it became apparent that Delta did not have an adequate or proper wheelchair to transport Vilma to her seat," the suit reads.
Delta told them there was nothing more they could do.
On Oct. 22, the couple tried one last time with a Lufthansa flight arranged by their travel agent who made sure the airline knew of Vilma's condition. The couple made it to the plane and were settled in their seats when the captain came over and said they would have to disembark because the "other passengers need to catch a connecting flight and cannot be delayed further," the suit says.
It took thirty minutes to get Vilma off the plane. Vilma reportedly felt sicker as they traveled back to their vacation home in Preszem, Hungary. She died Oct. 24, nine days after her Bronx doctor's appointment.
By refusing to accommodate Vilma, the airlines showed a "willful, wanton and reckless disregard" for her safety, the suit claims.
All three airlines did not comply with the Daily News' request for comment.
