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AN ENGLISH MAN is suing airline Qatar Airways after allegedly suffering a flesh-eating spider bite on one of their flights which caused his leg to ‘burst open’.
Jonathon Hogg, a commercial lawyer from London, says he was flying to South Africa from Doha when he felt a sharp pain in his leg and saw a spider scuttling across the floor.
Within days the 40-year-old’s leg resembled “something from a horror film” according to a statement from his lawyers Slater and Gordon, via whom he is suing the airline.
“The pain was like nothing I’ve been through in my life,” Hogg said.
By the time I got to hospital my leg was bursting open, there was pus, it was black. It was a right mess. They told me if I had been any later I would have lost my leg or even died. It was terrifying.
The bite was allegedly delivered by a deadly brown recluse spider during the ten-hour flight on 7 June.
The trip to South Africa was to have seen Hogg, a keen sportsman, embarking on a dream project diving with sharks.
Venom
Upon arriving in South Africa Hogg’s leg began to swell badly, to such an extent that he sought advice as to what was happening.
Those he asked told him to seek medical attention immediately as it looked like he had sustained a spider bite.
He was rushed into surgery where he underwent the first of three operations to save his leg. Subsequently he was told he would have lost his leg, and possibly his life, if he had waited any longer.
Doctors cut away a large area of his leg which had been infected with necrotic venom.
“I knew something was wrong but I had no idea how bad it was until I spoke with the surgeon. When he told me how close I had come to losing my leg I was stunned,” Hogg said.
It really hit home when they removed the bandages and I saw what was left of my leg – it resembled something from a horror film. They had been forced to cut away so much, I was devastated.
However when I realised the extent of my injuries I also realised I was just lucky to still have my leg – even if the sight of it shocked me.
Fear of flying
Hogg spent a month in hospital and underwent a skin graft before he was finally allowed return home. However, further complications ensued.
“When I returned home I was still having problems and went to see a specialist who told me the skin graft hadn’t worked so I would need another operation,” he said.
I’m now waiting to see if it takes.
I now have a real fear of flying and I am in therapy to try and overcome it. The whole thing has been a nightmare.
Richard Duxbury, a lawyer from Slater and Gordon, said that Hogg had suffered “a harrowing experience”.
“Airlines have a responsibility to protect passengers from dangerous potential pests by properly fumigating all planes. We will now be investigating Mr Hogg’s claim to determine if there has been any wrongdoing by the airline,” Duxbury said.
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Wonder how much was spent on the auld coffee and scone… That be another great useless fact to know.
The stress levels are probably high in the dail as our bunch of overpaid, incompetent, sub standard politicians are attempting to do jobs way over their heads and which they are totally unfit for.
If only the EU cared enough to fix our homeless crisis and health crisis as well, then our waste of space politicians could just sit back, relax and collect their unjustifiable various wide ranging financial payments.
@Adrian: the EU or our government could – ban smoking – immediate jail for a month for any one caught smoking. Selling or smuggling cigarettes one year jail. Limit everyone to 1 pint or 1 glass of wine per week. Ban sweets chcolates, cakes. Ban cars in city centres. Everyone must walk 10km per week, cycle 50km. Monthly check ups to prove their weight fitness, blood pressure and cholesterol is at recommend es levels or face fines or lose their TV, WiFi or car until they are healthy
@David Kelly: Wow, not at all fascist, eh?
@Adrian: When are you running for a seat Adrian? You seem to have it all sussed out.
Slow news day ZZZZZzzzzz
However much was spent in the dail bar, they probably puts indirect expense claims in for all this. I’d imagine when the ministers of state went to pascal a few weeks back about their hotel costs, he probably said, i can’t give you hotel expenses but if you claim it under say admin…. Dail bar pints are probably included in their food and drinks expense claims. Cigarettes maybe in the entertainment expense claims.
@Adrian: probably, imagine, probably, probably.
Great research.
@Chin Feeyin: ok. Its guaranteed they do it.
@Chin Feeyin: and its good that you agree. Thanks!
@Adrian: probably not.
@Adrian: paranoid much!!
Another ‘cash for ash’ scandal.
Which probably equates only to 10 people buying their smokes there while in work, as a smoker I probably go through 300 packs a year. Not really a news worthy story….
I always buy my cigarettes from my local TD. They’re so much cheaper.
Probably the only ones that can afford
them now
I wanna know how many packets of bacon fries they go through in a year.
Not surprised a lot of smoke and mirrors in Lenister House.
@JesusMoreBullshit: Don’t forget the smoke and daggers…
Close the bloody thing down
@Jamie: the entire dail or just the bar ? id go for the former myself !
Saw that old movie Gremlins over the weekend, no idea why the bar scene came to mind when I was reading this article, no idea.
Is there a condom machine in the Dáil bar?
This may be perceived as toxic4.4/10
@Micheal McGee: Too late for the residential inbreds that infest the Dáil.
And these are the very people that tell the people that pay their wages not to smoke or drink because of the f***** up health system …
You couldn’t make it up.
Sweet Jesus… After all their swaning around the world. You would think duty free would be the order of the day.. .
The big point to consider is not the amount of cigarettes they smoke but rather the number of TDs in the Dail (and Senators in the Seanad). I’m sure you all realise it is the highest per capita representation in the EU. It would fit Mr Murray and his fellow journo travellers better to highlight this fact and see if the number could be reduced.
I hope they choke on them
Curupt shower of horses who couldn’t run a bath bunch of ankers
Shit news…Work it out. Its under 10 packets a week. Not a big deal considering the amount of people in the dail..
Wtf dose the dail have a bar in the first place
Claremorris Council don’t like giving houses to there own they give them to every forgien hunt going they are the biggest shower of %ankers going I’m so mad with these fuuckkers
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