American Airlines Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Delay in Medical Response Leading to Passenger’s Death

DURANGO, Colo. — A wrongful death lawsuit filed against American Airlines alleges that the airline’s cabin crew delayed critical medical assistance for a passenger, John William Cannon, who suffered a fatal heart attack after a flight to Durango, Colorado. The lawsuit, initiated by Cannon’s son in Denver federal court, claims the crew’s inaction during a medical emergency contributed to the Kentucky resident’s death, raising serious questions about in-flight medical protocols.

Cannon, who was in Durango to attend a friend’s daughter’s wedding, collapsed during the second leg of his journey, according to the lawsuit. Despite exhibiting signs of distress, including labored breathing and semi-consciousness, the crew allegedly failed to promptly alert medical personnel or prioritize his condition. The complaint states that the crew waited until all other passengers had disembarked before calling emergency services, a delay that Cannon’s family and their attorney, Joseph LoRusso, argue was fatal. “How long does it take to deboard an airplane? 20, 30 minutes? That’s critical time,” LoRusso, a commercial airline-rated pilot, told The Independent.

The lawsuit further alleges that Cannon’s initial collapse on a jetway during a layover in Dallas should have prompted the airline to deny him boarding for the connecting flight. “If somebody has labored breathing, in what world would you put him in an airliner, in a cabin pressurized up to 8,000, 9,000 feet? That’s crazy,” LoRusso said (). The decision to allow Cannon to continue his journey is now under scrutiny, with aviation analysts suggesting it could lead to new gate-side triage protocols at American Airlines’ Dallas-Fort Worth hub.

Upon landing in Durango, firefighters provided Cannon with oxygen, and EMTs rushed him to Mercy Medical Center. However, he suffered ventricular fibrillation arrest en route and was pronounced dead at 1:29 a.m. the following morning. The lawsuit accuses American Airlines of negligent delay, failure to provide reasonable first aid, and failure to prioritize Cannon’s deboarding, despite crew members noting he was “in and out of consciousness”.

This incident is not the first time American Airlines has faced legal action over in-flight medical emergencies. Last year, the family of a 14-year-old boy who died of cardiac arrest on a flight from Honduras to New York sued the airline, alleging a faulty defibrillator (). Federal regulations mandate that commercial airliners carry automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and that cabin crews be trained in CPR, requirements in place since 2004 (). Yet, LoRusso claims a broader issue persists: “Flight crews are increasingly ‘event averse’—meaning they downplay incidents to avoid delays, paperwork, or disruptions”.

American Airlines has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, but the case could prompt the aviation industry to reevaluate in-flight emergency protocols, including crew training and passenger triage. As the lawsuit progresses, Cannon’s family seeks justice, hoping their loss will drive systemic change to ensure no other passenger suffers a similar fate.

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