AMERICAN Airlines has been accused of heartlessly carting a dying dad through the airport to a connecting flight instead of giving him life-saving treatment.
John William Cannon, 62, died in April 2023 after senseless workers allegedly ignored obvious signs of a medical crisis and put him on a second flight.
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Cannon’s tragic story came to light in a lawsuit filed by his family two years after his death.
In the suit, they claim that Cannon suffered a “syncopal” event and fainted on a flight from his home in Kentucky to Colorado.
However, instead of ensuring he was safe, the flier was merely put on the jet bridge and told he was fine to make his connecting flight once they landed, the lawsuit claims.
At the time, Cannon was flying to Texas for his female partner’s funeral, and had one more flight, the lawsuit seen by The Sacramento Bee states.
The traveler allegedly continued to show “concerning signs of medical distress” in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, but no one stopped him from boarding the next plane.
At some point in the next flight or upon landing, Cannon “entered a stage of medical crisis which resulted in him becoming unresponsive,” the suit alleges.
But despite his clear signs of suffering, the flight crew allegedly waited patiently for the plane to land and for every single passenger to deplane before calling for medical assistance.
Once first responders finally arrived, Cannon was rushed to the hospital.
While he was in the ambulance, he “suffered sinus bradycardia, which progressed to ventricular fibrillation arrest,” the suit claims.
Early the following day, Cannon was declared dead.
The family’s lawyers are arguing that the dad’s death was a “direct” result of American Airlines’ negligence.
“The circumstances of this case represent a tangible manifestation of a corporate culture at American Airlines that prioritizes inaction over intervention,” Joseph LoRusso and Jessica McBryant, who represent the Cannon family, told People.
The lawyers claim that this “ingrained culture” presents a danger to other fliers and needs to be addressed with “broader organizational change.”
Cannon’s son Kyle is seeking $75,000, plus legal fees, for his father having to go through “conscious pain, suffering, mental anguish, loss of time and income, medical expenses, and other damages prior to the death.”
In a statement given to The U.S. Sun, American Airlines said the airline is reviewing the lawsuit.
‘DEMONIC’ PASSENGER
American Airlines also made news recently after a deranged passenger threw punches at flight attendants while having a full-blown mid-air meltdown.
According to an arrest report, Delange Augustin, 31, went on a wild attack spree because “Satan’s disciple” followed him onto the plane, his sister claimed.
Horrified fliers took video of the attack, which caused screams to erupt from fearful passengers.
The pilot was forced to turn the plane back around to Savannah, Georgia, to get Augustin off the flight.
He was then arrested and removed from the plane.