A US lawyer died suddenly while flying to London on Delta Air Lines, and a recent inquest in a London courtroom has now concluded that her death was due to “misadventure” linked to an undiagnosed heart condition in combination with medications she was taking.
US Lawyer Dies Asleep On Flight To Heathrow, Inquest Finds Sudden Natural Causes
A 44-year-old American lawyer and writer died during a longhaul flight to London last year, and a coroner’s inquest in West London has now concluded that her death was caused by an undiagnosed heart condition in combination with medications she was taking.
Rachel Green was on a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) to London Heathrow (LHR) on April 30, 2025, when she fell asleep on her mother’s shoulder and did not wake up. Cabin crew tried to rouse her, a general announcement was made asking for medical assistance, and a doctor on board responded, but they were unable to revive her.
The inquest at West London Coroner’s Court heard from pathologists that Ms. Green had a congenital heart condition known as myocardial tunnelling, a situation where part of a coronary artery runs beneath the heart muscle instead of on its surface. The combination of this condition with a mix of prescription medications, including antidepressants and melatonin, likely contributed to her sudden death.
Why There Was An Inquest In The UK
Put simply, the investigation occurred in the UK because she died on a UK-bound flight.
In the UK, when someone dies suddenly under unexplained circumstances, a coroner is required by law to investigate. That process is called an inquest. Its purpose is to establish fundamental facts around how, when, where, and by what means a person died (it is not about assigning blame or liability).
Under English law, a coroner must open an inquest when a death is sudden, unexpected, or unexplained, or when it occurs outside of medical supervision and the cause has not been certified by a doctor. Since Ms. Green died on a flight and the immediate cause of her death was not known at the time, an inquest was required.
The West London Coroner’s Court handles sudden deaths reported within its area, which includes Heathrow Airport. The coroner oversaw the hearing to hear evidence from medical examiners, cabin crew statements, and expert testimony about Ms. Green’s health and medications. Open court proceedings allow the family and interested parties to ask questions and seek clarity about the circumstances surrounding the death.
What The Coroner Found
Senior Coroner Lydia Brown recorded a verdict of misadventure, a term used when someone dies as a result of unintentional consequences of a voluntary action. In this case, the combination of Ms. Green’s undiagnosed heart condition and the effects of prescribed medications appeared to cause her death without any other contributing external factors.
The coroner emphasized that there was no evidence Ms. Green had taken any medication in excess and added that her death was “instantaneous.” She noted that the medications in her system, combined with her congenital condition, formed a lethal combination.
Green’s family questioned why she had not been referred for cardiological follow-up after a previous abnormal heart test (in the USA), but the coroner stressed differences in healthcare systems and did not make any legal finding suggesting negligence or wrongdoing. This inquiry does not preclude Green’s family from seeking legal redress against her doctors in the USA, if they feel there is evidence suggesting malpractice or negligence in her care.
CONCLUSION
Rachel Green’s death was sudden, tragic, and deeply personal for her family, who expected to arrive in London together and instead found themselves confronting an unimaginable midflight loss.
The inquest in West London did not assign blame, nor was it designed to. Its purpose was to determine how she died and to put on the record the medical explanation for what occurred. The coroner concluded that an undiagnosed congenital heart condition, combined with medications she was taking as prescribed, created a lethal and unintended outcome.
While the legal process in the UK is now complete, the broader questions her family raised about prior medical follow-up remain separate matters. An inquest establishes cause of death, but it does not foreclose potential civil action elsewhere.
image credit of Green with her nephew, Jack: Roxanne Carney (her sister)
Another Covid vaxx death
You forgot the ‘/s’
Huh?
So mRNA vaccines cause retroactive congenital cardiac diseases? No wonder people mock anti-vaxers, it’s well deserved.
LOL…so let’s just chalk up every death to the COVID vaccine. It’s clear people like yourself are not interested in the facts or reality. And if a vaccine didn’t do it then let’s blame Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or Nancy Pelosi. They are the real evil in the world even though they have been no where close to power for years.
Do you people ever take a step back to see how crazy you sound? How ignorant and childish you sound? And you wonder why no one wants to be anywhere close to you.
Well stated. I wish I had you composure when dealing with such people.
How tragic. Sadly the congenital symptoms were missing and upon autopsy this condition was discovered. I hope the family can find the support they need.
Not every death can be attributed to faulty care and it appears this might fall into that category.
Regarding the referral for cardiological follow-up after her previous abnormal heart test, my only assumption is that she was in fact referred, but she simply blew it off and adopted an “I’ll get to it later” approach, and never actually followed through.
Doctors can refer all they want, but whether the patient actually follows through on the referral is up to them.
They say, don’t speak ill of the deceased, but, clearly, you didn’t get that memo…
Depression medications may be the most overused legally prescribed pills in the US. They may have legitimate uses but in more cases are used as a crutch by both Dr’s and patients.
Ok, you ready to do the labor-intensive work of controlled-psychedelic therapy instead, or simply to invest in better mental healthcare for all? Oh, I see, you’d rather prescribe a silly-pill and make easy money off a broken system… got it.
Re: “This inquiry does not preclude Green’s family from seeking legal redress against her doctors in the USA, if they feel there is evidence suggesting malpractice or negligence in her care.”, fixed it: This inquiry will have no effect whatsoever on Green’s family seeking legal redress against her doctors in the USA because suing doctors in the USA is a gigantic pot-of-gold for many lawyers (ambulance chasers or other) and the USA is (close to) the most litigious society in the world.
Re: “Doctors can refer all they want, but whether the patient actually follows through on the referral is up to them.”, fixed it: Doctors can refer and prescribe and instruct and recommend until the cows come home but whether patients actually fill prescriptions and/or follow instructions and/or recommendations and/or referrals is a crapshoot.
BTW, you guys left out (from today’s headlines): “Prominent Houston lawyer, wife of firm co-founder, killed in Maine plane crash.” (Upon a little research) “prominent” in this case is synonymous with “rich ambulance chasing personal injury”.
“Employees at Jet Aviation confirmed the corporate jet departed Hobby Airport in Houston and successfully landed in Maine before attempting to take off again for its final destination in France. During that departure, the plane flipped and crashed. Bangor officials said the incident happened during a snowy, wintry weather event, but other planes were still taking off and landing at that time. Bangor officials say all six people on board died.”
I’d bet my mortgage that at least a dozen lawyers have offered to represent her family in a lawsuit against the pilot and the plane owner and the airport and the NOAA (for not properly predicting the weather) and the last construction company that repaved the runway and the local electric company (1 light was out) and etc. etc. etc.
We were taught in medical school that a doctor is not liable for care within the “standard of care” and/or for a simple error of judgement and/or for not being able to predict the future, and that the patient could have “contributory negligence”, regardless of seriousness or severity or outcomes. Unfortunately our legal system has “evolved” way past all that and doctors are sued MANY times EVERY day for perfectly acceptable care. Savvy money-grubbing lawyers, impressionable juries, the expectation of “perfection” from doctors, no consequences for questionable/nuisance lawsuits and “it’s cheaper to settle than to defend” all contribute to a lottery system for medical negligence lawsuits. Sue enough doctors often enough and a lawyer will make money, sometimes A LOT of money. Almost as bad as personal injury lawyers (ambulance chasers).
SOMETIMES bad things happen that are not the fault and liability of any human being.
BTW, notice how lawyers cannot be sued just because they lose a case.
Why don’t sharks attack lawyers? Professional courtesy.
What do you call 100 dead lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.
There are 3 reasons some research institutes have started replacing lab rats with lawyers. 1: some people have been known to become attached to rats, 2: there are more lawyers than there are rats, and 3: there are some things that even a rat WON’T do!
You make many sad but true points. My last class in medical school in Texas was Jurisprudence because when I graduated to become licensed in Texas, physicians had to pass a medical jurisprudence test (in addition to everything else, but of course). Medicine is an art with scientific underpinnings but juries and lawyers do not always, if ever, understand those nuances.
Regardless, deaths on vacation whether due to a congenital defect or flying in inclement weather are heartbreaking and I wish peace and healing for this young lady’s family as well as those of the families who died in Maine.
aggiemd: Sad but true that doctors have to study jurisprudence in any way.
@ Retired ER Doctor
With all due respect, you mention the expectation of “perfection” from doctors.
Based on some of the advertising from my two local competing mega hospitals; there is a subtle, almost implied message that all patients walk away from the campus “healthy or healed.”
I’m educated enough to know better, and have been kicked off of jury pools (both civil & criminal) because of my education level or I had the gumption to ask questions during jury selection.
However, there are many who don’t know better and the advertising of the hospitals doesn’t help the situation.
Exit Row Seat: What is your point? Hospitals and doctors shouldn’t be allowed to advertise just like all other businesses in our (perverted capitalism) society? Healthcare advertising is contributing to the massive amount of medical negligence cases, nuisance and otherwise? Healthcare advertisjng should be honest? “Many of our patients walk away, some get carried out, some never leave.”?
Ok, another way to express the situation!! Perception is reality and hospitals are full of doctors. When the hospital advertises its healing power, the doctors are swept in the image.
When your best friend returns to the hospital several times but it fail to detect his liver cancer via a biopsy and punctures his colon during a colonoscopy, you start to wonder!! After two days in intensive care, a surgery stepped in with exploratory surgery and detected both “abnormalities.” The damage was done, and I was in the room when he passed away in the hospice. Yet, EIGHT different doctors charged his account during his repeated stays, yet it was only the surgeon who had the wherefore all to understand the situation.
I see why lawyers have a field day with medical professionals.
It’s unfortunate that you and your friend had disappointing/untoward medical experiences and I’ll not defend anyone or any hospital or business. I will point out that doctors are individual HUMANs and in the USA few (if any) other INDIVIDUALS can be sued PERSONALLY. Pilot and co-pilot do not get PERSONALLY sued when people die in an airplane crash. Police officers do not get PERSONALLY sued when someone is wrongfully shot to death. The architect and builder do not get PERSONALLY sued when a building collapses and many lose their lives.
USA medical-legal situation only exists because lawyers and politicians want it to exist because it’s such a goldmine for them, like nuisance lawsuits against billionaires just because they have a lot of money (deep pockets). We should have a medical-legal system similar to Workers Compensation. Could have “Patient Compensation” with a committee of professionals and laypersons who evaluate each claim and pay appropriate compensation, unaffected by emotions, from a taxpayer or healthcare business funded fund. Such a system would also be helpful to identify substandard practitioners, something our existing system is not designed for and accomplishes very little for.
I’ll also mention that for this subject you are far from an impartial observer or disinterested party, more like a veteran who holds a combat injured friend in a foxhole as the friend bleeds to death, with the resulting PTSD.
@ Retired ER Doctor & Navy Flight Surgeon
January 28, 2026 at 3:42 pm
Re: “I will point out that doctors are individual HUMANs and in the USA few (if any) other INDIVIDUALS can be sued PERSONALLY. Pilot and co-pilot do not get PERSONALLY sued when people die in an airplane crash. Police officers do not get PERSONALLY sued when someone is wrongfully shot to death. The architect and builder do not get PERSONALLY sued when a building collapses and many lose their lives.”
I will point out, since you don’t, what you conveniently fail to see with your false misdirecting comparison. Medical doctors kill over a 100,000 people with properly prescribed drugs EACH year, decade after decade (https://tinyurl.com/2aeknaby). It’s why mainstream medicine has been called the medical mafia or psychopathic medicine (https://www.rolf-hefti.com/covid-19-coronavirus.html). Pilots, police officers, and architects and builders COMBINED do not even come close to causing the number of deaths in one year what medical doctors do year after year, decade after decade! Therefore, docs CERTAINLY should get sued personally as the rampant medical killers they are!
“If we have learned anything in the past six years, it is that vaccinologists, doctors, and the government in general do not have good intentions and never did. The clear intention of everyone concerned was and is to make as much dirty money as possible, letting any amount of collateral damage slide, including a genocide and mass poisoning [with Covid-19 jabs].” — Miles Mathis, American author, in 2025
Where’s Tim Dunn protecting Delta’s reputation, revenue upside as a result of not being at fault for her death and shaming AA and UA for probably not being as good and probably causing more deaths than Delta?
Beverly, sorry you feel that way. You should most definitely NEVER visit a doctor under any circumstances for any reason. Should probably tattoo “no doctors” on your chest just in case you’re ever in an accident and can’t speak for yourself. While you’re at it, please take your conspiracy theory BS and your friend Miles and shove them where the sun doesn’t shine you f—king imbecile.