Man Sues El Al For Injuries After They Failed To Explain How His Business Class Seat Worked

A man has filed a lawsuit in US District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Monday against Israeli airline El Al because, he says, he was injured after getting stuck in one of their business class seats on a flight from Tel Aviv to New York JFK in October.

A flight attendant “had to pull him free” from the seat, and this is the airline’s fault because cabin crew had “failed to explain to him how the seat operates.” This was, apparently, the man’s first time sitting?

Lawyers acting on behalf of Wiseman are bringing the lawsuit under the Montreal Convention, which holds airlines responsible for passenger injuries unless they can prove the injury was the result of the passenger’s own negligence.

Described as a “gentleman of advanced age”, Wiseman had booked himself a Business Class seat for the 11-hour flight to New York on October 23, 2022.

Apparently the man was trapped in his seat as it reclined. He sought help from a flight attendant, who “pulled him free” but this lead to “great pain, agony and mental anguish” and medical treatment for his injuries.

To be fair, premium cabin seats are complicated. I once had my laptop next to me in ANA first class when I fell asleep, and having woken up in a daze I wasn’t thinking about it as I restored my seat to a more upright position. I cracked the screen’s case, though it remained usable. I have never seen a passenger get stuck in the seat itself, such that physical removal by a crewmember would lead to injury.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. This guy is going to get settlement, probably legitimately. These seats are heavy machinery. I wouldn’t think that it’s terribly likely but that doesn’t make it impossible he experienced bodily injury. By reading this posting, you too may be eligible for compensation..

  2. I hate business class. Too many buttons. ANA pushes my buttons for me. United Airlines staff are useless and I have to figure out the bed button myself.

    Just give me my blanket, a reading light, and a cup of hot cocoa, and no more soul-destroying technology..

  3. Please designate this person to be used as a mandatory organ donor. At least his organs can hep society, even if he can’t.
    Note: do not use his brain. We don’t want that genetic line to continue. It would destroy our future generations

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