Man Sues British Airways for Sitting Him Next to ‘Extremely Large’ Passenger
The man says he suffered back injuries as a result of the seating arrangement on the 12-hour flight.

Hannah McKay/Reuters
A man is suing British Airways after he says he suffered back injuries from being forced to sit next to an overweight passenger on a flight two years ago. Stephen Prosser has told a U.K. court that he was left with a pelvic injury and back spasms after being seated next to the “extremely large” passenger on a 12-hour flight from Bangkok to London in 2016, according to the Independent. He is reportedly seeking up to £10,000 (nearly $13,000) for being “forced into a position of unnatural posture” for the duration of the flight. “I was immediately aware that this was going to be problematic for me and I could feel the weight of his pure bulk putting lateral pressure on my upper body,” Prosser said. He said he didn’t confront the passenger directly because he seemed “self conscious,” and that flight crew had told him no other seats were available when he complained. The airline said in a statement to USA Today on Saturday that it is “resisting the claim” made in Prosser’s lawsuit but could not comment further.
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