The Associated Press
Woman sues JetBlue over death of husband
December 27, 2006
BOSTON --A Peabody woman has filed a wrongful death suit against JetBlue Airways Corp., claiming the budget air carrier ignored her husband as he suffered a fatal heart attack during a flight nearly two years ago.
Robert Fossett Jr., 53, the former president of Revere-based Atlantic Vending Co., was a passenger on Boston-bound JetBlue Flight 468 on Feb. 16, 2005, when another passenger saw him go into "cardiac distress" and tried to alert the crew, according to court documents.
Karen Fossett, 51, claims in her suit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Boston that "After the plane landed, JetBlue's employees or agents determined that Mr. Fossett was unresponsive, but nonetheless fully deplaned the aircraft before providing any assistance, calling for aid or attempting to resuscitate him."
The airline's legal department had not seen the complaint as of Tuesday, said Jenny Dervin, a spokeswoman for New York-based JetBlue.
"We can't comment on pending litigation matters," Dervin said.
JetBlue employees either failed to help Fossett or failed to arrange for others to help him, including having an ambulance waiting at Logan International Airport, the lawsuit says.
Only after other passengers were tended to and sent on their way did JetBlue try to resuscitate Fossett with oxygen and "some form of CPR," according to the complaint.
Only after those measures failed did the flight crew alert Logan's emergency services personnel, the suit alleges.
Fossett was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The lawsuit accuses JetBlue of negligence and of causing Fossett conscious pain and suffering. The suit does not name any individual members of the flight crew.
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Information from: Boston Herald,
http://www.bostonherald.com