- A mother is suing American Airlines after her 14-year-old son died on board a flight.
- The lawsuit claims the flight crew was slow to respond and could not operate the defibrillator.
- “It made me feel hopeless. I want answers from American Airlines,” she said.
A mother is suing American Airlines and calling for answers after her 14-year-old son died on board a flight.
Kevin Greenidge and his family were returning to New York from a vacation in Honduras back in 2022 when he lost consciousness after takeoff, the lawsuit says.
The suit claims that the flight crew was slow to respond after Greenidge’s family called for help, and that they were either unable to operate the defibrillator or it was faulty.
The flight was diverted to Cancún, and Greenidge was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suit was originally filed in New York in 2023, but was refiled in Texas on Monday after American Airlines challenged to transfer the case to the state where it’s headquartered.
In a video shared by her legal team, Greenidge’s mother, Melissa Arzu, said: “After Kevin died, I never heard from American Airlines again.”
“It made me feel hopeless,” she added. “I want answers from American Airlines.”
Citing airline records, the suit says that the flight crew weren’t trained to use the type of defibrillator that was on board the plane. It adds that the machine didn’t deliver a shock, but kept advising that CPR should be continued.
Hannah Crowe, Arzu’s attorney, said: “After Kevin died, the equipment went missing.”
The suit asks for around $150,000 in compensation.
“Our thoughts are with Mr. Greenidge’s loved ones,” American Airlines said when contacted by Business Insider. The airline declined to comment further, citing pending litigation.
