My client, Melissa Arzu, is devastated. She is the mother of Kevin Greenidge who died suddenly on an American Airlines flight from Honduras to Miami.
The plane was in flight to Miami when Kevin went into cardiac arrest and a doctor on board the flight tried to save Kevin using a defibrillator but the life-saving device malfunctioned.
I have filed a civil lawsuit in federal court of behalf of Melissa Arzu because the defibrillator hadn’t been charged properly and this negligence led directly to Kevin’s premature and tragic death.
Since 2004, all airplanes traveling within the United States are required to carry and maintain AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators). And there is a good reason why such mandate passed. According to the American Heart Association, there are 1,000 incidents a year where a passenger experiences cardiac arrest and is in immediate need of a defibrillator device to save his life.
Ironically, it was American Airlines that first placed defibrillators on airplanes after the company’s corporate medical director convinced the American Airlines CEO of their importance. However, in this case, the airline failed to maintain the life-saving equipment and it cost the life of a teenager and life-long heartache for his mother.
Thomas P. Giuffra, Partner
Thomas specializes in the litigation and trial of significant civil sexual assault, medical malpractice, personal injury, mass tort, and product liability actions. His innovative approach has led to 20 verdicts and numerous settlements in excess of one million dollars on behalf of his clients, including a recent landmark verdict for $58 Million. He has been recognized as "outstanding in the field of advocacy" nationally and internationally.
