In a heart-wrenching lawsuit, a Bronx mother, Melissa Arzu, is suing American Airlines for the wrongful death of her 14-year-old son, Kevin Greenidge. Arzu alleges that the airline failed to prevent her son's tragic passing and furthermore, claims that crucial evidence in the case has been "lost".

According to a complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas on May 13, Arzu asserts that American Airlines violated Federal Aviation Administration policy by flying with a faulty defibrillator on board. Additionally, she argues that flight attendants were inadequately trained to operate the defibrillator.

The incident occurred in June 2022 when Arzu and her son were flying from Honduras to Miami on their way back home to New York. Greenidge suddenly experienced a medical emergency during the flight, rendering him unconscious and unresponsive. After some delay, airline personnel directed medically-trained passengers to perform CPR on the boy. Subsequently, flight attendants arrived with a defibrillator, but allegedly struggled to operate it correctly. Despite attempts to administer a life-saving shock, the machine continuously advised to continue CPR, ultimately failing to deliver the necessary shock that could have saved Greenidge's life.

As a result, the plane made an emergency landing in Cancún, Mexico, where the young boy was rushed to the hospital. Tragically, Greenidge was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Arzu's legal team attempted to inspect the defibrillator used on her son before filing the complaint but faced repeated denials from American Airlines. In the complaint, Arzu's lawyers contend that the airline either destroyed or misplaced the crucial evidence, severely undermining the case and hindering the determination of key details, such as the timing of machine utilization and whether the shock was delivered.

In addition to the allegations of negligence and missing evidence, Arzu accuses American Airlines of further misconduct and lack of empathy in their dealings with her grieving family. It is asserted that the airline failed to provide Arzu with the advance payment of $113,100, as per their policy when a passenger dies during a flight. Furthermore, American Airlines fought to move the trial from New York, where Arzu resides and initially filed the case, to Texas, where the company is headquartered.

The absence of the defibrillator also raises concerns about whether American Airlines violated FAA policy by operating a flight without a functioning device. The FAA has mandated passenger flights to carry working defibrillators since 2004, and it strictly prohibits flights from taking off if the equipment is missing or faulty.

Representatives of American Airlines declined to comment on the ongoing case but expressed condolences for Greenidge's loved ones.

Arzu and her legal team remain resolute in seeking justice and answers from American Airlines. The extensive litigation process has taken a toll on Arzu, compounding the pain of losing her child. However, she remains determined, stating, "I want answers from American Airlines. I never want this to happen to a child or family again."

The lawsuit seeks accountability from the airline for the tragic loss of Kevin Greenidge and aims to prevent similar incidents in the future.