Mom sues American Airlines, alleges crew wasn’t properly trained for medical emergency
The family of a 14-year-old boy who died two years ago on a flight filed a federal lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging that the flight crew wasn’t properly trained to use an onboard defibrillator.
The suit was originally filed in the Southern District of New York and transferred to a federal court in Fort Worth, according to a news release.
According to the lawsuit, the American Airlines crew was slow to respond and “struggled” to turn on an automated external defibrillator, which failed to deliver the electric shock to restore the boy’s heart rhythm.
Kevin Greenidge was returning to New York from Honduras, where he was on a summer vacation with his family.
The flight made an emergency landing in Cancun, and Kevin was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“After Kevin died, I never heard from American Airlines,” said Melissa Arzu, Kevin’s mother. “It made me feel hopeless. I want answers from American Airlines. I want American Airlines to take full responsibility for Kevin’s death. I never want this to happen to a child or family again.”
American Airlines said in an emailed statement to the Star-Telegram: “Our thoughts are with Mr. Greenridge’s loved ones. We are going to decline further comment given this matter involves pending litigation.”
Hannah Crowe, an attorney representing Melissa Arzu, said the facts in the case are horrendous.
“The loss of a child is truly unimaginable,” she said.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the flight crew was slow to respond and did not appear to know how to operate the defibrillator, according to the lawsuit.
Airlines have been required to have automatic defibrillators on flights since 2004, and they must be properly labeled and functioning properly, according to the news release.
