Wheelchair champion Timothy accused Qantas of ‘breaking’ his legs. Now the airline’s pitiful compensation offer has left him outraged

A wheelchair motocross star has blasted Qantas, claiming the airline seriously damaged his seat during a flight back from the US.

Timothy Lachlan traveled with the airline from Dallas, Texas to Sydney in February, but claims his wheelchair on board was so badly damaged it is now unusable.

He said the wheels are now uneven and the wheelchair falls backwards at the slightest incline.

Mr Lachlan has used his custom-made seat for more than a decade but has since had to borrow one from a friend after the flight, claiming the wheels and canopy were bent and broken.

“This wheelchair is basically my legs, Qantas has basically broken my legs,” he told Seven News.

The airline offered Mr Lachlan $3,500 in compensation, an increase of $1,000 on their original offer, but said this would be ‘subject to the receipt of a signed confidential settlement’.

“That’s not even going to cover a set of wheels,” Mr Lachlan said.

Mr Lachlan, who is neurodivergent and lives with Spina Bifida and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (a condition affecting the skin, joints and blood vessel walls), also works as an occupational therapist.

He said he can no longer work due to the damage to his wheelchair.

Mr Lachlan said the wheels are now uneven and the slightest slope will cause the wheelchair to fall backwards

“I invite the CEO of Qantas to jump into this chair and tell me it doesn’t need to be replaced,” Mr Lachlan said.

A Qantas spokesperson said: ‘We sincerely apologize to Mr Lachlan for the damage to his wheelchair.

“We have offered him compensation and are waiting for an answer.”

Mr Lachlan rose to prominence in the wheelchair motocross world after becoming the first Australian to perform a backflip in a wheelchair.

He was also selected to represent Adaptive Skating on the world stage, alongside skateboarding superstar Tony Hawk.