It's your job to get me home.

[Gob]

The husband of a US woman who was too big to be flown home from Europe - where she later died - is to sue the airlines involved for damages.

Vilma Soltesz, who weighed about 30st (193kg / 420 pounds), was refused a place on two flights in October.

She died of kidney failure before a suitable flight could be found, after refusing treatment from local doctors.

Delta Airlines said every effort was made to accommodate her but it had been "physically unable" to get her aboard.

But Peter Ronai, the lawyer acting for her husband, Janos, told CBS: "They [the airlines] took on the responsibility to get her to Hungary, it's their responsibility to get her back."

Mrs Soltesz needed to return to New York from her holiday home in Hungary to resume medical treatment.

She suffered from kidney disease and diabetes and reportedly "did not trust" Hungarian doctors.

But the Dutch airline KLM was unable to get her on board a flight on which she had booked two seats to accommodate her.

She was then told to drive to Prague in the Czech Republic where she would be given seats on a larger Delta Airlines flight.

But, according to Mr Ronai, she was unable to be belted into that plane and "the captain came out of the cockpit and made her get off".

Mrs Soltesz died of kidney failure before an alternative flight could be found.

In a statement Delta Airlines and KLM said they had done everything possible to assist the family.

"Our records indicate Delta staff in Prague made repeated attempts for nearly an hour to board the customer, but they were unable to get her onboard the aircraft," Delta claimed.

Mr Soltesz is seeking $6m (£3.7m; 4.6m euros) in damages from Delta and KLM.

[Econoline]

Offhand, it does seem to me that if they were able to get her there, they should have been able to get her back. (Unless she gained a hundred pounds while in Budapest? I somehow doubt that's the case.) Especially since she made every effort to accomodate the airlines--first by booking two seats, and then when even that wasn't enough driving over 500 kilometers to another airport at the airline's request.

[Jarlaxle]

Yeah, pretty much. The airline would have a hell of a lot better case if they hadn't flown her out in the first place!

[Miles]

If the airlines make accomodations for over large individuals they should certainly have provisions for seat belt extentions. Sad state of afairs that they could manage to fly her only one way.

[Big RR]

I've seen seat belt extensions handed out on some flights; I have no idea what her girth was, but I saw a guy once need two extensions, and I can't believe she was much bigger than him.

[Andrew D]

On the other hand, how likely is it that even if she had been flown back to New York, she would have died anyway? And how likely is it that if she had not refused treatment by Hungarian doctors, she would have survived? And did she book round-trip tickets from New York, or did she book her return-flight tickets only after she was already in Hungary?

[TPFKA@W]

I would like to know if she was already in kidney failure on dialysis or pending dialysis before she flew out. Did she stop dialysis to make this trip? That would be suicidal. Also, with the onset of kidney failure and lacking dialysis would come with fairly massive fluid retention. People puff up to enormous proportions before dying of fluid overload. It may have actually become impossible to replicate whatever they did that got her on the plane the first time.

Too many answers lacking here to judge.

[dgs49]

Damages?

Hell, the airline saved the Mister from potentially years of expense and aggravation. He should pay them.

[rubato]

They don't call it "morbid obesity" for nothing.

yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Mrs Soltesz needed to return to New York from her holiday home in Hungary to resume medical treatment.

She suffered from kidney disease and diabetes and reportedly "did not trust" Hungarian doctors.

Speculation
"holiday home" seems to indicate a long-term engagement rather than a simple fly-in and fly-out. Maybe her return ticket was "open" if she had one. "Resume" medical treatment indicates that she was already undergoing dialysis or something to control her condition (kidney failure/diabetes) in the USA before she even flew to Hungary.

She was in critical kidney failure condition upon trying to fly back and I'm not sure that the airline even should take on board someone who is already in acute need of medical assistance - who was supposed to care for her during the flight of many hours duration? Are they required to assume responsibility for a visibly ill and possibly dying passenger?

Thought: she'd start kicking up a fuss somewhere over France and be landed as an emergency in a non-Hungarian country (England/France?) for medical intervention. She was already refusing proper medical assistance on the ground in Hungary (which might be her native land judging by the name?).

I wonder how long it took her to die after she arrived at the first airport? Would she have died en route on either the first or second 'booked' flight?

I always feel sorry for people who refuse medical treatment for themselves - but that factor is going to scupper this legal case I suspect. (And rightly so)

Meade