A federal jury in San Jose ordered American Airlines to pay a California man $9.6 million in damages after the airline company failed to follow its medical protocols, resulting in the man suffering a major stroke that left him paralyzed.
The verdict stems from a November 2021 incident after the family sued American Airlines. According to the lawsuit, Jesus Plasencia boarded a flight with his wife, Marcela Tavantzis, in Miami and bound for Madrid, Spain. While the plane was still at the gate, Plasencia suffered a short transient ischemic attack (TIA). Plascencia’s wife told flight attendants her husband had temporarily lost motor control and started “speaking gibberish.”
Rather than report the incident to medical personnel, the lawsuit claimed the pilot cleared Plasencia for takeoff.
Not long after takeoff, Plascencia suffered a major stroke. The flight crew then asked other passengers to watch him, but did not inform the pilot about what was happening. The flight continued for another eight hours and landed in Madrid, where Plasencia finally got the medical care he needed.
“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,” said Plasencia’s attorney, Darren Nicholson of Burns Charest.
The lawsuit, via the San Francisco Chronicle, stated that nearly two years after the incident, Plasencia can’t speak, write, or communicate effectively, much less walk, feed, bathe himself, clothe himself, or use the toilet without assistance. Plasencia, a former chef who was 67 when the medical emergency occurred, “depends entirely on daily, significant, around-the-clock, in-home care and intensive rehabilitation.”
The outlet reported the family will use some of the reward to make their home in Watsonville, California, wheelchair accessible.
As for American Airlines, a spokesperson issued the following statement via the Chronicle.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers is our highest priority. While we respect the jury’s decision, we disagree with the verdict.”
