tom911

FORT WORTH — A 60-year-old San Antonio woman says she was disfigured and suffered multiple injuries when one of the world’s deadliest spiders bit her on the world’s largest airline.

The American Airlines flight was traveling from Germany to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and continuing on to San Antonio in September 2005. Ursula Riederer and her husband, Hans, sued the Fort Worth-based airline and its parent company, AMR Corp,. on Sept. 14 in a Tarrant County civil court.

“For this condition, she will need treatment for the rest of her life,” the Riederers’ San Antonio attorney, Wayne Colodny, said Friday in a telephone interview.

In the lawsuit, the Riederers say that on the first leg of the trip, Ursula Riederer was “bitten repeatedly by a brown recluse spider causing serious injuries that were aggravated by the [airline’s] failure to provide any assistance.”


full story: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/1558...annel=dfw_news

IceTrojan

She might as well name the State of Texas, Mother Nature, and Steve Irwin's estate as co-defendants. I suppose she wouldn't have sued AA had they amputated her leg on board, hence saving her from all this pain and suffering.

Though AA spokesman Tim Wagner might have done himself in with this : "Wagner said he was not aware of any pest predicaments."

*cough*mice*cough*

SocietyFlyGirl

Wow, a little over-protective of AA aren't we? C'mon, I'd be surprised (I am surprised?) if those filthy planes aren't harboring more vermin -- maybe next headlines, "Bubonic plague linked to intercontinental flights."

IceTrojan

Not at all. Just a little sensitive to frivrolous lawsuits. I'm sure the plaintiff's attorney is shooting for a settlement, knowing full well that if it goes to court they'd lose. This case is approaching "hot coffee in lap" level.

grouse

No, it would only approach "hot coffee in lap" level if more than 700 people had previously claimed against AA for being bitten by spiders, and AA still refused to do anything about it.

freeupgrade

well, I do agree for sure with 1 thing: The plane was probably not clean.

I am not saying the spider was AA's fault, yet I would agree 100% with the satement that the plane was probably not clean.

Some of the F cabins have reallly, really been in bad shape lately.....FAs tell me they are expected to clean it, and there is just no time.

gemac

I guess the word that raised my eyebrows was "repeatedly". If a spider bit me once, that would be one flat spider. Why let it bite you repeatedly?

stratofortress

"Colodny declined to say whether Ursula Riederer saw the spider on the plane or whether her medical team deduced that a spider caused her injuries."

So nobody actually SAW the spider, and well, we're not even sure if it was a spider bite... Uh-huh.

I smell a grubby trial lawyer out to make a quick buck...

Traveller

I'm against frivolous lawsuits too, but I have personally seen the damage a brown recluse spider can do. The damage can be very extensive.

DataPlumber

Oh where is Darwin's theory of natural selection when gene pool could use it most. I guess in the new food chain; Spider > 60 year old woman. Maybe I lack empathy but if you going to sit there and take repeated bitings, you desreve what you get!

And as it was an international flight, compensation is limited by the Warsaw Convention.

JDiver

"Dis isss verrry interrresting," a la Arte Johnson... I have been bitten by a brown recluse (dumbest thing ever - it apparently had taken up residnece n my wetsuit, and when I put it on, it felt, er, pressed for room. I still have the scar. Painful? Yes. Hard to heal? Yes again. Treatment for life? Not likely. Multiple bites? Most venomous critters discharge most of their venom if biting in panic, and I'm wondering if multiple bites are likely... assuming all the information is factual. It'll be interesting to see how this one weighs out - it could be legitimate, it could be phoney.

The passenger should never visit Australia - Sydney funnel-web spiders are not entirely uncommon, and they are significantly worse than brown recluses.

IceTrojan knows Tim Wagner's pronunciations only too well, it would seem - time to expand your literary horizons.

Spiff

I think she should base her suit on being denied any spider bite cream or any other preventative/treatment lotions/gels. @:-)

TR35R

OK, If I read this correctly, a spider bit a 60 year old woman and then, she bit AA. So, AA would have to bite someone. Who's the next victim?

Spiff

If she follows my advice and sues based on being denied access to lotions/gels/creams, then the next victim should be the TSA.

Pickles

In that case, I do hope this proceeds, and the buck gets passed to the TSA. Then we may see the possibility to the end of this moronic lunacy.