A New York City mother is suing American Airlines and demanding answers after her 14-year-old son died following a medical emergency on a flight.
Melissa Arzu, from the Bronx, alleges that the defibrillator used by the aircrew to try to save her son, Kevin Greenidge, was faulty and has since gone missing, according to a new lawsuit.
Arzu’s lawsuit claims that the cabin crew was slow to respond and not adequately trained when Kevin lost consciousness on American Airlines flight 614 from Honduras to Miami in 2022. He was returning home from vacation with a family member.
The grieving mother’s attorney, Hannah Crowe, told The Post that multiple eyewitnesses confirmed that the AED machine used to try and resurrect Kevin appeared not to work.
“After Kevin died, the equipment went missing,” Crowe said. “Did someone at American intentionally destroy it? Is it defective? Put back out in service? These are all severe violations of the federal laws in place to protect passengers,” she added.
Since 2004, defibrillators have been required on all passenger aircraft. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, they are considered “no-go” equipment, meaning a plane cannot be dispatched if they are missing or inoperable.
Kevin had asthma and type 2 diabetes. His primary cause of death was listed as “myocardial infarction,” also known as a heart attack.
The lawsuit also claims that American Airlines failed to submit an advance payment of $113,100 for Kevin’s death, as per the company’s policy following a passenger’s death on board.
American Airlines declined to comment on the litigation but said their “thoughts are with Mr. Greenidge’s loved ones.”
After the American Airlines crew was unable to renew Kevin, the flight was diverted to Cancun, Mexico, where the teen died in a hospital.
“I want American Airlines to take full responsibility for Kevin’s death,” Arzu said. “I never want this to happen to a child or family again.”
Crowe said Arzu’s original lawsuit in New York was dismissed because American Airlines fought to have the trial in Fort Worth, Texas, where the company is based.
“American Airlines has compounded her injury by fighting to have the case in Texas and forcing her to fly out here,” Crowe said. “It’s making things harder for her after the trauma she’s already suffered.”
