Man suing British Airways for sitting next to an overweight passenger on a 13-hour flight

A customer is suing British Airways, claiming that he had been injured in the back after being forced to sit next to an obese passenger and crashed against the edge of the plane during the night. A flight of 13 hours.

Stephen Prosser, 51, described the passenger sitting next to him as being about 6 feet 4 and weighing about 320 pounds.

Prosser stated that he was stuck between the plane wall and the large passenger, which was in the central square, during the Bangkok-London flight.

Since then, he had nerve damage to the back and his pelvis was misaligned.

"He was a huge guy, not only overweight, but also very strong. He was a real bump, "he said.

"I felt uncomfortable as soon as he sat down because I was stuck against the edge of the booth.

"I asked if they could move it or move me but it was a complete robbery and they decided not to move to the seat of a crew member," he said. because I had to keep getting up to allow them to go into the galley. "

Prosser stated that he had been told that he should file a formal complaint and that he had been returned to his seat.

"I had no choice but to return to my seat and the discomfort of being crushed against the cabin quickly turned into agony," he said.

"I think it's up to the staff to take charge and he should have asked the passenger sitting down the aisle to talk to the taller man."

British Airways rejected Prosser's request.

But the unfortunate passenger, originally from South Wales, claims about $ 17,000 in damages and loss of earnings after three months of incapacity for work.

British Airways said in a statement: "British Airways is resisting demand. However, as the case is the subject of ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment. "

The case is expected to be heard by a Welsh court this week.

Last year, an Australian sued American Airlines, claiming that he was stuck between two "seriously obese" passengers during a Sydney-Los Angeles flight, which compounded a problem of back and made him suffer.

The Wollongong man, NSW, said that the passenger's body next to him "was overturned and encroached" on his seat, forcing him to "get around his body in a series of positions including standing, crouching, leaning forward and leaning forward. "

He said that he had asked the cabin crew to change seats but that this had been refused.

Similarly, in 2016, a lawyer claimed that his Emirates flight, lasting nine hours, was ruined after sitting next to an obese man whose "overflow" l & # 39; He had crushed in his place.

And in 2015, a man from Queensland filed a lawsuit against Etihad, claiming that the man next to him "severely overweight" was "encroaching on his seat" and causing him back pain.

The passenger stated to be complaining after five hours of discomfort, but that he had not seen attributing another seat and that he had been injured on the back and aggravated by a problem of back due to the constraint to twist and to circumvent his body to avoid any contact.

This article originally appeared on news.com.au.