Airline is accused of letting passenger die as cabin crew 'delayed requesting medical assistance'
John William Cannon, 62, died on April 29, 2023 after suffering a heart attack while paramedics were taking him to a hospital in rural Durango, Colorado.
Cannon, of Kentucky, had flown from Louisville to the mountain city on April 28, with a layover in Dallas, the lawsuit filed by his family last month states.
He boarded his flight to Texas without showing any outward signs of distress, but suffered a 'syncopal event', or fainting episode, on the jet bridge while deplaning, according to the complaint reviewed by MailOnline.
Crew helped Cannon back on his feet and just two minutes later released him to make his connecting flight, the complaint alleges. It also states airline personnel helped him to the gate despite Cannon allegedly exhibiting 'concerning signs of medical distress'.
During the second leg of his journey, Cannon 'entered a stage of medical crisis' and became 'unresponsive', the suit says. Flight crew called emergency services to report that he was 'in and out of consciousness' and displaying 'labored breathing', but the family alleges crew failed to act quickly enough.
Cabin crew 'delayed requesting medical assistance until after the aircraft had landed, taxied to the gate, and all other passengers had deplaned', the complaint says.
The family further alleged that Cannon's subsequent heart attack and death in the early hours of April 29 'was the direct and proximate result of the negligence and fault' of American Airlines and its crew.
Cannon boarded American Airlines (AAL) Flight 1444 from Louisville to Dallas-Fort Worth on April 28 at around 12.30pm.
He collapsed while deplaning in Dallas and was 'helped to the floor of the jet bridge', the complaint states.
'Two minutes and fifteen seconds later, John was released to make his connecting flight,' the lawsuit adds. 'While Mr. Cannon exhibited concerning signs of medical distress, AAL personnel proceeded to transfer him to his connecting flight.'
He flew from Dallas to Durango onboard Flight 4896, but allegedly fell unconscious 'during the flight, and/or at the time of deboarding'.
The complaint, which does not note the exact time the flight landed, states that crew called emergency services at 4.04pm to report Cannon's deteriorating condition, allegedly after the deplaning process was complete.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and gave Cannon an 'oxygen treatment' before removing him from the aircraft with the help of paramedics, according to the suit.
He was taken to Durango's Mercy Medical Center in an ambulance, but suffered a 'sinus bradycardia' - a heart rhythm where your heart beats slower than expected - during transport, which progressed to cardiac arrest.
'The ambulance crew performed approximately 10 minutes of chest compression, administered two doses of epinephrine, and delivered multiple Automated External Defibrillator (AED) shocks,' the complaint states.
But despite paramedics' best efforts, his did not resume a sustained heart rhythm and effective blood flow, and was pronounced dead the next morning at 1.29am.
Cannon was meant to be picked up from the airport by his best friend. His family's attorneys told MailOnline: 'They were going to his partner's celebration of life. She passed away previously.'
The lawsuit - initially filed in Denver County District Court, but removed to Denver federal court Tuesday - accuses American Airlines of negligent delay in medical aid, failure to deny boarding in Dallas, neglect in first aid delivery, and medical triage negligence.
It alleges that crew did not pay appropriate attention to Cannon's condition, failed to prioritize his needs, and did not take reasonable steps to get him to the care of a physician in a timely manner.
The Cannon family is seeking $75,000 in damages, as well as other related court costs and attorney fees.
Joseph LoRusso and Jessica McBryant, who represent the Cannon family, told MailOnline that Cannon's case demonstrates systemic problems in corporate culture.
'The circumstances of this case represent a tangible manifestation of a corporate culture at American Airlines that prioritizes inaction over intervention,' they said.
This ingrained culture, to which John Cannon tragically fell victim, underscores a systemic issue the family is determined to address, both in seeking justice for John and in advocating for broader organizational change.'
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