Spirit Airlines, which recently declared bankruptcy and is presently winding down operations, has been accused of abandoning a senior citizen with dementia at Texas Airport, after which he wandered onto a highway, where he was fatally struck by oncoming traffic.
The family of Marcos Humberto Vindel Osorio, 75, has alleged that Spirit Airlines failed to provide the promised assistance for Osorio upon his arrival, according to a lawsuit filed.
Osorio died on June 8, 2024, when his body was found struck by multiple vehicles on a roadway approximately an eight-minute drive from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, as per a report in People. The family claims that the airline was instructed to look after Osorio as he departed Palmerola International Airport in Comayagua, Honduras, to visit his family in the US.
After the plane landed in Texas, Osorio never made it to the arrivals area where family and friends were waiting for him. After becoming concerned about his disappearance, the family called the police. The body was found later in the night.
"Failure to provide the promised assistance, leaving a 75-year-old man with dementia to navigate alone from an international gate through customs and out of a major international airport at night, was the direct and proximate cause of Mr Osorio's death," the lawsuit stated.
Also Read | Restaurateur Says Workers From Bengal, Northeast More Willing To Work Late Shifts Than Bengaluru Locals
Seeking Damages
The complaint added that Osorio suffered from mild dementia that was triggered and exacerbated by stress. Due to this condition, he needed assistance and supervision when travelling alone through unfamiliar environments.
In the US, airlines are required to provide disability assistance under the Air Carrier Access Act. Any disabled passenger, including those with cognitive impairments, shall be assisted with moving to and from the gate, boarding, and deplaning.
The Osorio family is now seeking compensatory damages, survival damages and wrongful death damages, plus interest, for, among other things, mental anguish; loss of companionship, society and support; and funeral and burial expenses. An initial pretrial conference is scheduled for July 17.