Melissa Arzu, a mother from New York City, is suing American Airlines after her 14-year-old son, Kevin Greenidge, died following a medical emergency on a flight. The lawsuit alleges that the defibrillator used by the aircrew to try to save Kevin was faulty and has since gone missing.
The incident occurred on American Airlines flight 614 from Honduras to Miami in 2022 as Kevin was returning home from vacation with a family member. Arzu claims that the cabin crew was slow to respond and not properly trained when Kevin lost consciousness during the flight.
According to Arzu’s attorney, multiple eyewitnesses confirmed that the AED machine used to resuscitate Kevin appeared not to work properly. Following Kevin’s death, the equipment went missing, raising questions about whether it was intentionally destroyed, defective, or put back into service improperly.
Federal laws require defibrillators on all passenger planes and consider them essential equipment. Kevin, who suffered from asthma and type 2 diabetes, ultimately died from a heart attack. The lawsuit also alleges that American Airlines did not provide an advance payment for Kevin’s death as per company policy.
Despite American Airlines declining to comment on the litigation, Arzu is seeking answers and holding the airline accountable for her son’s death. The flight was diverted to Cancun, Mexico, where Kevin died in a hospital after the crew was unable to resuscitate him.
Arzu wants American Airlines to take responsibility for Kevin’s death and ensure that such a tragedy does not happen to another child or family. The original lawsuit in New York was dismissed, and Arzu was forced to file a new lawsuit in Texas, where the airline is based, adding to her trauma and suffering.
