Flyer Bit by Deadly Spider Nearly Loses Leg, Sues Airline (Graphic Image)
Joe Cortez September 30, 2015
Brown Recluse Spider sitting on a white background.
British flyer sues Qatar Airways, claiming airline put him at risk of losing a leg from a spider bite.
A British man who says he nearly lost his leg after being bitten by a spider on a Qatar Airways flight will sue the airline, claiming the carrier holds some responsibility for his injuries. British attorney Jonathon Hogg is taking the carrier to court because:
“They have made no attempt to resolve the issue and have basically said it was nothing to do with them … No one should have to go through what I have and if the airline has made a mistake it should take responsibility.”
Hogg claims he was a passenger aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Cape Town when he was bitten by a brown recluse spider. According to his account, he was seated when he felt a stinging pain on his leg. Immediately afterwards, Hogg says he saw the spider running, followed by screams of flight attendants.
Upon landing, Hogg said his leg had swollen and begun to discolor. Believing he was suffering from deep vein thrombosis, the 40-year-old decided to try and treat it with painkillers and rest. However, the bite got worse and the his skin soon began turning black.
As a result, Hogg says he was forced to spend a month in a South African hospital for treatment of the spider bite, while surgeons removed much of his leg mass. In speaking to a doctor, Hogg claims he was very close to having his leg entirely amputated.
“When I realized the extent of my injuries I realized I was just lucky to still have my leg,” said Hogg. “Even if the sight of my leg shocked me when I finally saw it.”
Hogg is seeking damages from the airline for the suffering experienced as a result of the brown recluse attack. Attorneys representing Hogg say the airline has a “responsibility to protect passengers from dangerous potential pests by properly fumigating all planes.”
In a statement, the Qatari flag carrier claims they were unaware of any legal proceeding by Hogg.
“The only known interaction between the airline and Mr. Hogg regarding this incident, which he claims happened on a Qatar Airways aircraft in June, was via our website a week after his travel was complete,” said an airline representative.
[Photos: iStock, PA via Telegraph]
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What a gorgeous spider! How could anyone being bitten by such a majestic predator SEE IT and then think oh I must have a DEADLY thrombosis which I choose to tinker with MYSELF ... that makes zero, zero sense. That is akin being bitten by a large shark which you then see swim away, then believe that you have been shot and hence you put Aloe Vera on what you think is a bullet hole. I for one like the medical picture though ... it illustrates the extent the of tinkering.
A little necrosis, really not all that bad. How old are you folks, anyway? What annoys me is that it appears to be simply a stock photograph and not the guy named in the article, suggesting an attempt at misleading us.
Why would you post that picture? Jesus.
Don't mean to blame the victim here, but it seems self-diagnosing (and wrongly at that) and self-treating was a major cause of the problem, as well. Based on the text above, also sounds like he pretty much knew he had been bitten, so this is all the more perplexing. How about taking a bit of responsibility. If your leg is swelling and discolored after a long flight, particularly if you know you've been bitten by a spider, wouldn't it be way better to see a doctor first, who can presumably tell the difference between a spider bite and DVT? Treatment within several hours may have resulted in fewer injuries. I can see an angle to the lawsuit if the swelling/dicoloration was noticed during the flight, and the crew denied deverting (most of that flight appears to be overland). Maybe there is (way) more to the story that we don't know. But based on what i see above, could this be another american-style, blame someone else and see how much $ I can get from it?
I could have done without the graphic graphic. Maybe the spider boarded the aircraft by hitching a ride on Mr. Hogg. I don't see how the airline could be responsible, and in a court of law I don't think Mr. Hogg would have a. . . No, I won't say it!