American Airlines lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Melissa Suzette Arzu filed a wrongful death lawsuit against American Airlines.
- Why: American Airlines personnel allegedly failed to quickly respond to a medical emergency on a flight, allegedly contributing to the death of her 14-year-old son.
- Where: The American Airlines wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Texas federal court.
A mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against American Airlines after her 14-year-old son experienced a medical emergency on a flight and allegedly died due to the airline’s failure to respond appropriately to the situation.
Plaintiff Melissa Suzette Arzu says her son Kevin Greenidge was traveling on an American Airlines flight from Honduras to New York when he suffered a medical emergency and became unconscious.
Although his family immediately called out for assistance, Arzu says the flight personnel did not respond to give Kevin medical assistance, such as initiating automated external defibrillator (AED) resuscitation, in a timely manner.
When flight personnel finally attempted to use the AED, it did not function properly either due to equipment malfunction or improper operation, the American Airlines lawsuit alleges.
Arzu says each time the AED machine gave a “clear” warning prior to administering a shock, no shock was delivered and the machine advised to continue CPR instead.
The American Airlines lawsuit says the plane made an unscheduled emergency landing in Cancun, Mexico, and Kevin was taken by ambulance to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Wrongful death lawsuit points to multiple alleged failures by American Airlines personnel
Airline records allegedly show that flight personnel were not trained to use the type of AED machine on the flight and the contents of the emergency medical kit on board the plane were unmarked in violation of federal law, the wrongful death lawsuit says.
The American Airlines lawsuit asserts the airline is liable for damages under Article 17 the Montreal Convention. Arzu points to the series of alleged failures by airline personnel, including the alleged delay in responding to initial calls for help, delay in calling for assistance from medical professionals on the plane, delay in moving Greenidge to the rear of the plane for medical treatment and failure to properly operate the AED machine.
Arzu claims American Airlines knew a wrongful death lawsuit was possible following the death of her son, and the airline allegedly “lost” the AED machine so it cannot be inspected. She asked the court to prohibit the airline from submitting evidence the AED machine was in working order because it destroyed or lost potential evidence.
The American Airlines lawsuit also asserts claims for loss of consortium under the Montreal Convention and breach of contract under Texas law.
An American Airlines lawsuit filed earlier this year alleges the airline wrongfully terminated loyalty accounts belonging to members of its AAdvantage frequent flyer program.
What do you think about the allegations in the American Airlines wrongful death lawsuit? Join the discussion in the comments.
Arzu is represented by Darren P. Nicholson, Hannah M. Crowe and Clay R. Mahaffey of Burns Charest LLP.
The American Airlines wrongful death lawsuit is Melissa Suzette Arzu, et al. v. American Airlines Inc., Case No. 4:24-cv-00433-P, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division.
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