American Airlines is facing a lawsuit filed by the son of a passenger who became severely ill during a flight and died later of a heart attack in an ambulance. The airline is being sued for not giving appropriate medical assistance to the passenger on time and failing to take reasonable steps to respond to the situation.
American Airlines
- IATA/ICAO Code
- AA/AAL
- Airline Type
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, New York JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Year Founded
- 1926
There have been numerous cases of passengers and even crew members becoming ill during a flight. Usually, timely medical assistance is given to the victim in these cases, but sometimes, a delay can prove to be fatal.
American Airlines Sued
American Airlines is being sued by the son of a 62-year-old man who faced a medical emergency during a flight and later died in an ambulance of a heart attack. The incident took place in April 2023 when John William Cannon was traveling to attend the funeral of his best friend’s partner. His family alleges that Cannon was not given timely medical help and that the crew members waited for everyone to disembark the plane before giving him treatment.
Joseph LoRusso, an attorney representing Cannon in court, told The Independent the apparent lack of urgency shown in getting timely help for Cannon was “unbelievably frustrating.” The lawsuit claims that American failed to give reasonable first aid onboard the aircraft, failed to take reasonable steps in the situation, and did not pay appropriate attention to Cannon’s situation.
The Independent quotes LoRusso as saying,
“How long does it take to deboard an airplane? 20, 30 minutes? That’s critical time … Nobody’s expecting a flight attendant to be a doctor, but you have to at least attempt a recovery … Despite Mr. Cannon's escalating medical crisis, the… flight crew delayed requesting medical assistance until after the aircraft had landed, taxied to the gate, and all other passengers had deplaned …”
Chain Of Events
On April 28, 2023, John William Cannon was traveling from Louisville, Kentucky, to Durango, Colorado, with a flight connection from Dallas-Fort Worth. According to The Independent, he was physically okay when he boarded American Airlines flight 1444 from Louisville to Dallas-Fort Worth. However, things got tricky when the plane landed in Dallas.
While getting off the aircraft, Cannon fainted and collapsed on the jetway. As concerning as this seemed, the report says that the airline employees helped Cannon to his feet and sent him off to his connecting flight to Durango. According to LoRusso, Cannon should not have been allowed to board the plane to Durango, adding that if crews realize that someone’s in a medical crisis, they’re well within their rights to deny boarding.
Cannon’s condition apparently worsened later, with the complaint stating that one of the crew members told emergency dispatchers that Cannon was “in and out of consciousness with labored breathing.” Cannon was treated first by firefighters who gave him oxygen while the medics arrived. He was then shifted to an ambulance, where he suffered a cardiac arrest. Cannon was given chest compressions, administered two doses of epinephrine, and delivered multiple Automated External Defibrillator (AED) shocks. But unfortunately, his life couldn’t be saved. Simple Flying has contacted American Airlines for more information.
Related
Do Commercial Aircraft Carry Defibrillators Onboard?
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Previous Cases
There have been many cases in the past of passengers and even crew members falling ill mid-flight or at airports. Earlier this month, A United Airlines Boeing 777-200 operating a flight from Amsterdam to Newark was forced to divert to Dublin a few hours into the flight after one of the pilots reportedly suffered from heart problems.
In 2023, a passenger collapsed in the aisle of an Air India plane operating a flight from London to Mumbai. Thankfully, a doctor was also onboard and gave the traveler medical help that helped save his life.
A few years ago, India’s largest airline, IndiGo, and Bengaluru Airport were sued by the relative of a passenger who suffered a heart attack at the airport. The lawsuit claimed that both IndiGo and the airport failed to provide timely assistance, contributing to his death.
