The family of a man who died in Las Vegas are bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against the hotel where his lifeless body was discovered.
William Howell was found dead in the famous Aria Casino Hotel in August 2023, nearly 14 hours after he was last seen by staff when he returned to the hotel, having failed to board his flight home to London.
Mr Howell, 37, who was a type one diabetic, fell ill as he tried to board his Virgin flight from Harry Reid International Airport on 30 August, 2023.
Staff put Mr Howell in a wheelchair as a precautionary measure and called an ambulance. Medics Alexandra Gangemi and Dominique Johnson arrived at 20:46 and noted that he had high blood sugar.
It is alleged in the lawsuit, which the family has also filed against the ambulance company and its crew, and the hotel’s security, that the medics ‘spent no more than two minutes’ with Mr Howell before he signed a medical transport refusal form.
Court papers alleged the ambulance crew ‘did not properly inform’ Mr Howell of the ‘consequences of failing to seek attention’, that they failed to ‘properly assess’ his mental capacity, that they did not ‘perform the proper testing’ and that they ‘did not follow policies and procedures’.
Mr Howell, of Newton Abbot, Devon, then took an Uber back to the Aira Casino Hotel, where he fell out of the vehicle upon arrival, according to the Mirror.
He was issued a new key to the room he had been staying in prior to check out earlier that day at around 22:10. Security staff helped him to where he was staying, but then left him alone in the room.
Mr Howell (pictured with wife Emma) who was a type one diabetic, fell ill as he tried to board his Virgin flight from Harry Reid International Airport
Emma, who was pregnant with the couple’s second child at the time, waited for Mr Howell at Heathrow Airport. But when he failed to arrive, relatives contacted the hotel and urged staff to check on him
Mr Howell, aged 37, was found dead in the famous Aria Casino Hotel in August 2023
It is alleged that staff ignored the warning signs of his condition, despite being made aware that he was diabetic.
The next day, Mr Howell’s wife, Emma, who was pregnant with the couple’s second child, Jack, waited for him at Heathrow Airport. But when he failed to arrive, relatives contacted the hotel and urged staff to check on him.
At 12:24, staff found Mr Howell dead in his room. His cause of death was recorded by the Las Vegas medical examiner as diabetic ketoacidosis.
Mrs Howell and her sons, Louis and Jack, have now filed a five-count civil lawsuit in Nevada’s Eighth Judicial District Court, alleging gross negligence and wrongful acts which led to Mr Howell’s death.
It is alleged that had Mr Howell received the correct care in the airport, or on his arrival at the hotel, or later in the evening, it is likely that he would have survived.
The family is seeking damages for negligence, emotional distress, and financial losses.
MGM Resorts, the parent company of the hotel, is yet to comment on the lawsuit, while medics Alexandra Gangemi and Dominique Johnson, and Community Ambulance have applied to have the case against them dismissed.
A hearing is set to take place on March 5.
