Spirit Airlines Sued After 75-Year-Old With Dementia Dies Following Alleged Lack of Assistance

Spirit Airlines, which recently filed for bankruptcy and is currently scaling back operations, is making headlines again for an explosive lawsuit.

The airline has been accused of leaving a 75-year-old passenger with dementia without assistance at a Texas airport on June 8, 2024, leading to his death hours later, according to court documents obtained by People.

The family of Marcos Humberto Vindel Osorio alleges the airline failed to provide the help it had promised upon his arrival, after which he reportedly wandered away from the airport and was fatally struck by traffic on a nearby highway, The Independent reported May 7.

They allege that the airline’s staff abandoned Osorio after promising to assist him upon his arrival at the airport, following a flight from Honduras.

The complaint is direct. “Spirit’s agent confirmed that assistance would be provided,” the filing states, as per Independent. “Spirit provided none.”

Osorio’s relatives had flagged his condition at check-in, informing airline staff that he had cognitive issues and would need guidance after landing. They were waiting for him at their designated meeting area. He never appeared.

According to the lawsuit, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer later told the family that Osorio had already been processed and cleared through customs alone at 7:43 p.m.

Family members allege in the lawsuit that they called the police and began searching on their own. More than three hours later, Osorio’s body was found on a roadway roughly eight minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on June 8, 2024.

“Mr. Osorio had been struck and killed by multiple vehicles,” the filing states.

Russ Brudner did not mince words when he spoke about the case. “This family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Brudner told The Independent.

“They trusted an airline to keep their father safe for the last few miles of his journey home. That trust was broken in the most devastating way possible.”

Brudner also called the incident “every family’s nightmare.”

The lawsuit notes that Osorio experienced “mild dementia that was triggered and exacerbated by stress” and required supervision while moving through unfamiliar environments.

The filing also cites the Air Carrier Access Act, which requires U.S. airline carriers to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities, including those with cognitive impairments.

An initial pretrial conference is scheduled for July 17.

The family is pursuing wrongful death damages under the Montreal Convention, People reported. The suit seeks compensation for loss of companionship, mental anguish, parental care for the minor plaintiff, and funeral expenses.

Spirit Airlines has not made any statement on the pending litigation.