BRONX, New York – A New York woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines following the death of her 14-year-old son during a flight in 2022. Melissa Arzu claims that the defibrillator used by the flight crew in an attempt to save her son’s life was defective and has since disappeared, according to the lawsuit.
The incident occurred on American Airlines flight 614 from Honduras to Miami, where Kevin Greenidge was returning from a vacation with a family member. Arzu alleges that the cabin crew was slow to respond and lacked proper training when Kevin lost consciousness mid-flight.
Arzu’s attorney, Hannah Crowe, stated that multiple eyewitnesses confirmed that the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) used in the resuscitation attempt seemed to malfunction. Crowe raised questions about whether the device was intentionally destroyed, defective, or put back into service, as it vanished after Kevin’s death.
The potential scenarios raised by Crowe represent serious violations of federal laws designed to protect passengers. Defibrillators have been mandatory on all passenger planes since 2004 and are classified as “no-go” equipment, meaning that a plane cannot be dispatched if these devices are missing or non-functional, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Kevin had asthma and type 2 diabetes, and his death was primarily attributed to a heart attack. The lawsuit also alleges that American Airlines failed to provide an advance payment of $113,100 following Kevin’s death, as per the company’s policy in the event of a passenger’s death on board.
American Airlines expressed their condolences to Kevin’s family but refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation. After the unsuccessful resuscitation attempt, the flight was diverted to Cancun, Mexico, where Kevin was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Melissa Arzu expressed her disappointment with the airline and stated that she had not heard from them following her son’s death. She seeks answers and wants American Airlines to take full responsibility for Kevin’s death to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Hannah Crowe revealed that Arzu’s initial lawsuit in New York was dismissed, as American Airlines pushed for the trial to be held in Fort Worth, Texas, where the company is headquartered. Crowe criticized this move, stating that it added to Arzu’s distress by forcing her to travel to Texas.