American Airlines ordered to pay $9.6 million after mishandling passenger’s medical emergency

A federal jury in San Jose, California, United States has awarded $9.6 million in damages to a passenger and his wife after American Airlines was found liable for failing to follow medical protocols during an international flight.

The incident occurred in November 2021, when 67-year-old chef Jesus Plasencia, from Watsonville, California, suffered a medical emergency before take-off on a Miami–Madrid flight. According to court documents, Plasencia experienced a “mini stroke” while the aircraft was still at the gate. His wife alerted both the cabin crew and the captain, but instead of contacting medical personnel as required by airline policy, the complaint said the pilot dismissed the concerns, even joking with the passenger before proceeding with departure.

Mid-flight, Plasencia suffered a second, more severe stroke. Rather than diverting the aircraft, the crew allegedly asked fellow passengers to monitor him until arrival in Spain. By the time the aircraft landed in Madrid, nearly eight hours had passed. Plasencia was hospitalised in critical condition for more than three weeks. Today, he can no longer speak or write and requires round-the-clock care.

The jury determined that American Airlines failed to follow its own emergency protocols and found the carrier liable under the Montreal Convention, the international treaty governing air travel.

“It is shocking that American Airlines responded so poorly to a medical emergency like this,” said Darren Nicholson, the couple’s attorney, who argued the delay in medical intervention significantly worsened Plasencia’s condition.

American Airlines issued a statement following the verdict: “The safety and well-being of our passengers is our highest priority. While we respect the jury’s decision, we disagree with the verdict and are currently evaluating next steps.”

Many stroke experts recommend the BEFAST system instead of just FAST, because it includes two additional key warning signs. Here’s how it works:

BEFAST – Stroke recognition checklist:

• B – Balance: Sudden loss of balance, dizziness, or difficulty walking.
• E – Eyes: Sudden vision changes, such as blurred or double vision, or loss of vision in one or both eyes.
• F – Face: Ask the person to smile — is one side of the face drooping?
• A – Arms: Ask them to raise both arms — does one drift downward or feel weak?
• S – Speech: Ask them to repeat a simple sentence — is their speech slurred, strange, or hard to understand?
• T – Time: How long does he/she suffer from this?

If any of these signs appear, call emergency services immediately.