Lawsuit alleges crew failed to act after man suffered stroke on flight
The family of a man who died after suffering a stroke on a JetBlue Airways flight has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the airline and ABM Aviation.
The lawsuit alleges that John Allen Fletcher experienced a “major stroke” just as he was preparing to deplane after a flight from Boston to West Palm Beach. He collapsed into his seat, unable to stand, and his speech became difficult to understand. According to the lawsuit, the flight’s crew had should have noticed Fletcher’s situation and offered immediate assistance. Instead, he remained alone in his seat as the rest of the passengers deplaned. He was then placed in a wheelchair and moved to the outside of the plane.
According to the lawsuit, more than one hour after the flight had first landed, he was evaluated by medical personnel.
The lawsuit emphasized that JetBlue’s crew should be able to identify “classic symptoms of stroke” such as balance issues, vision loss and slurred speech. Instead, the crew “made no effort whatsoever” to seek help.
“JetBlue’s acts and omissions were grossly negligent in that JetBlue’s personnel—acting within the course and scope of their employment—exhibited deliberate indifference to the health and safety of Mr. Fletcher and a conscious disregard for the consequences of their action and inaction,” according to the lawsuit
Fletcher died in the hospital 13 days after the incident. His family is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, and they demanded a jury trial.
Boca News Now, an independent Florida news website, was one of the first outlets to cover this incident. Click here for additional details.
“We take the health and safety of our customers and crewmembers very seriously,” JetBlue has said in an email. The airline did not wish to make any additional comments.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.