From: spike66 (spike66@attbi.com)
Date: Tue Oct 22 2002 - 23:35:31 MDT
LONDON, England -- A woman injured while squeezed next to an obese
passenger on a trans-Atlantic flight has been given £13,000 ($20,000) by
the airline.
Barbara Hewson, 63, was offered damages by Virgin Atlantic after
suffering a blood clot, torn leg muscles and sciatica following a flight
to Los Angeles in January 2001, the UK's Press Association reported.
She said the woman passenger was so large she had to sit with the arm
rests up, but when she complained, the crew said there was nothing they
could do as the plane was full.
Hewson, of Swansea, Wales, who still has medical treatment, was quoted
by PA on Monday as saying: "It was never about the money. No money would
pay for you having sleepless nights with the pain."
The freelance writer, who travelled with her husband Roy, 67, said she
spent most of her holiday in bed. "It ruined the holiday. We went out
very little."
Hewson added that half-way through the flight the woman asked if she was
okay, saying to her: "I'm sitting on your lap."
"I had three sessions of sitting in the hostess seat and I stood for a
little while," added Hewson.
Virgin Atlantic said in a statement: "This was an unprecedented set of
extremely unfortunate circumstances.
"We have apologised to Mrs Hewson and offered her compensation, which
she has accepted, and we are pleased that this has now reached a
conclusion."
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