American Airlines has been ordered to pay $11m (£8.2m) in damages to a passenger who suffered a stroke on during a flight to Spain.
Californian resident Jesus Plasencia was flying on flight AA68 from Miami to Madrid on 8 November 2021, when he showed signs of a transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini stroke, while the plane was parked at the gate.
According to a 2023 lawsuit seen by The Independent, Mr Plasencia’s wife, Marcela Tavantzis, became concerned and alerted a flight attendant and the pilot.
The lawsuit claimed that rather than follow American Airlines protocols, which involves contacting a medical expert either on or off the plane, “the pilot dismissed Tavantzis’s concerns, joked with Plasencia, and cleared him for take-off.”
Mr Plasencia, a former chef who was 67 years old at the time, appeared to recover and was seemingly unaware of the incident.
Yet, after the flight departed, Mr Plasencia “suffered a severe, life-altering stroke” while flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
The lawsuit claims that the pilot was informed of the medical emergency and asked for the assistance of trained professionals. Medical personnel offered aid, but said the plane was not equipped with the necessary equipment, such as a blood pressure cuff, for effective assistance.
Once the almost-eight-hour flight landed in Madrid, Mr Plasencia was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he remained in a critical condition for more than three weeks. He later returned to the US in an air ambulance.
“Today – nearly two years after the flight – Plasencia can neither speak, write, nor communicate effectively, much less walk, feed, bathe himself, clothe himself, or use the toilet without assistance,” the lawsuit said.
“Plasencia depends entirely on daily, significant, around-the-clock, in-home care and intensive rehabilitation.”
The lawsuit said that had American Airlines staff followed established airline protocols, “medical professionals would have been consulted, a serious neurological emergency would have been identified, and Plasencia would have been transported to any number of hospitals in Miami for inpatient observation and treatment.”
Following a six-day trial, a US jury determined the verdict on 17 September. The couple were awarded $9.6m (£7.1m) in damages, plus interest, taking the total to $11m (£8.2m).
“It is shocking that American Airlines responded so poorly to a medical emergency like this, and it is appalling that the airline tried to defend its conduct by claiming Mr Plasencia had pre-existing conditions,” Darren Nicholson, a lawyer for the couple, said in a statement.
“Under a treaty called the Montreal Convention, passengers have extra protections on international flights,” Hannah Crowe, another representing lawyer, said. “The jury rightfully determined American violated the law, and we are grateful for their verdict.”
An American Airlines spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times: “The safety and well-being of our passengers is our highest priority. While we respect the jury’s decision, we disagree with the verdict and are currently evaluating next steps.”
The Independent has contacted American Airlines for comment.
Read more: ‘Serious incident’ as passenger planes narrowly avoid collision while landing on Nice airport runway
