New Yorker Melissa Arzu has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines after her son, Kevin Greenidge, tragically passed away on a flight last summer from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to Miami.
According to reports, an uncharged automatic external defibrillator (AED) on board could have potentially saved the 14-year-old’s life.
Greenidge had been visiting family in Central America with his uncle and was returning home when he went into cardiac arrest. A doctor on board the flight attempted to help the teen but was unable to use the AED due to its uncharged battery. Unfortunately, Greenidge passed away on the flight.
Arzu has since hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that American Airlines’ negligence resulted in her son’s death. The lawsuit claims that the airline failed to maintain the AED on board the flight and did not ensure that it was fully and properly charged.
The lawsuit also alleges that American Airlines failed to train its employees with basic resuscitation techniques and allowed the mobile battery pack to drain down to no power, causing the AED to stop working.
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Arzu is seeking unspecified damages from American Airlines and wants the airline to pay for the attorney fees that have resulted from this tragedy.
The court filing also mentioned the Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998, which requires airlines to carry defibrillators on board each aircraft with flight attendants. The AED must be regularly inspected to ensure it is in good condition and immediately ready for emergency purposes.
This lawsuit may serve as a wake-up call for American Airlines and other airlines to prioritize the maintenance of their medical equipment on board their flights.
