American Airlines has been ordered to pay nearly $9.6 million after a jury found it ignored its own medical protocols when a passenger experienced a stroke mid-flight.
American Airlines Must Pay $9.6 Million: Jury Finds Crew Ignored Stroke Warning Signs
In November 2021, Jesus Plasencia, a 67-year-old chef from Watsonville, California, boarded an American Airlines flight from Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD). While still at the gate, he suffered what witnesses later called a mini-stroke: he lost motor control, could not speak clearly, and even dropped his phone. His wife reported his symptoms to flight attendants. The crew allegedly dismissed her concerns, clearing the plane for takeoff. The lawsuit claimed they even joked with Plasencia.
Midair, while flying over the Atlantic, Plasencia suffered a full stroke. Flight attendants asked passengers to keep watch on him but never alerted the pilot or diverted the plane. More than eight hours would pass before he received hospital care after landing in Spain. When all was said and done, the jury awarded $13.28 million. But due to partial fault attributed to the plaintiff (he should not have boarded the plane in the first place), the final award was reduced to $9.6 million.
A Hard Verdict Against Neglect
The verdict called attention to the inadequacy of how American handled this medical emergency. The jury ruled American was negligent under the Montreal Convention, a treaty that governs international airline liability, because the crew failed to follow medical protocols, which calls for a diversion in the case of a serious medical episode like a stroke.
Plasencia now lives with severe disabilities, no longer able to speak, write, or walk independently. According to court documents, he depends entirely on round-the-clock care. His family says it will use part of the award to make their home wheelchair accessible.
American Airlines released a statement: “The safety and well-being of our passengers is our highest priority.” AA added that it disagrees with the verdict and is reviewing next steps, which may include an appeal. In AA’s defense, finding a safe diversion point halfway over the Atlantic is not easy and if the plane was closer to Madrid than Bermuda, I’m not sure there was a better alternative.
My Thoughts
We expect airlines to handle emergencies with expertise and care…after all, flight attendants always remind us they are “primarily here for your safety.” A stroke is nothing to take lightly. Symptoms should trigger immediate action, diversions when necessary, and onboard medical escalation. A moment’s hesitation can yield life-long damage. By allegedly ignoring his warning signs, crew members contributed to Plasencia’s permanent injury.
Had American followed its own protocols, a medical hotline could have been alerted, a diversion considered, or in-flight medical support deployed. Instead, that did not happen and the jury determined that outcome could have been avoided.
CONCLUSION
American Airlines is on the hook for $9.6 million after a jury ruled it was negligent in caring for a passenger who suffered a stroke onboard. There is some fault to go around, but it appears the pilot was never even alerted, which is a damining indictment against the flight attendants. All the money in the world, though, cannot restore good health, as Plasencia and his family certainly realize.
image: American Airlines
9.6M is letting AA off a little too easy
and I hope those FAs were fired. After all, they weren’t there for the pax safety
AA cannot guarantee a passenger’s fitness . All passengers ought to carry a doctor’s certification of fitness to travel . I carry one myself .
I don’t understand why he wasn’t evacuated from the plane in MIA before it left the gate ?
Could the wife have called 911 from their mobile phone ?
I’m going to give the flight attendants the benefit of the doubt and side with them. I think the wife did not communicate his symptoms clearly enough to the FAs. Moreover, I also think the FAs spoke directly to Plasencia and asked him if he was okay and he most likely said yes. They probably even asked him if he wanted to deplane and seek medical care, and he probably said no.
A TIA can be quick and only last for a few seconds, then you can go right back to normal. That seems to be what happened to Plasencia while still at the gate. He and the wife probably didn’t think much of it and just brushed it off. Until the full stroke happened mid-flight.
(Sorry, wasn’t meant to be a direct reply to Alert.)
This is a good use-case for FA body cams: Useful to keep FA’s responsible, to document and prosecute passenger misbehavior, and security overall.
That said, Matt writes that the wife reportedly reported the symptoms too FA’s who, quote, “dismissed her concerns”.
Well the wife would say that, wouldn’t she? That was the whole foundation of her suit, after all.
I can see the payout being considerably reduced on appeal. Letting juries decide damages is hilariously capricious, and makes a mockery of justice. Only in America, folks!
What the wife claims and what actually happened could be two different things. If she was seeking a payout, then she would more than likely contort the story.
All speculation on my part, obviously. But I just have a hard time believing an FA would brush off a serious medical complaint. The FA more than likely was given bad intel to make an informed decision. And now the wife is capitalizing on that.
If only the TIA (mini) was dealt with while still at the gate and paramedics summoned…
Why did the wife let him board? That is not a AA decision, as a family member I would immediately cancel the trip and take him to a hospital.
You are a good man.
This is why ARNP nurse practitioners are bad. They don’t know what they don’t know. Nurse practitioners don’t go to medical school. Likewise, the FA didn’t realize the man was having a stroke. She didn’t know what she doesn’t know.
AA should be paid for being sued, not made to pay. The FA is not a nurse practitioner and shouldn’t be expected to practice medicine. AA is a bad airline but they are right here.
I a m not Derek. I am derek. Derek wrote the opposite of me above.
Sounds like you’re having a TIA, Derek.
Sure sounds like AA to me!
The wife should not have let him board the plane.. The FA’s or GA’s are not medical personnel.. the wife knows how he functions or if what was happening was not normal and called 911!!! Or get an opinion from a medical person in gate area or on the plane. I have intervened in medical issues and in one incident we went back to the gate and the person was taken off as I felt they were too ill(alcohol poisoning) to fly 7 hours ..
“The safety and well-being of our passengers is our highest priority.”
The most meaningless PR-issued statement that’s trotted out every time a company is required to do some form of damage control.