Lawsuit Alleges Negligence in Tragic Death of Disabled Passenger
A devastating lawsuit has been filed against Allegiant Air, claiming that a disabled man died from his injuries after airline staff failed to properly secure him in a wheelchair during boarding. The legal action asserts that Hunter Adkins, a 24-year-old from West Virginia, was fatally injured when he was thrown from an aisle chair that lacked safety straps.
The Fatal Boarding Incident
According to the wrongful death suit, the tragedy unfolded in March 2024 as Hunter Adkins, who suffered from muscular dystrophy and relied on a power wheelchair, attempted to board Allegiant Flight 1258 from Huntington, West Virginia, to Orlando, Florida. He was traveling with his father, Tony, and younger brother, Kaden, to visit family when the incident occurred.
The lawsuit alleges that the unnamed captain of the flight began rushing the boarding process to achieve a takeoff within twenty minutes. This rush reportedly led to staff originally assigned to assist Hunter leaving to load luggage, leaving only one wheelchair assistant to handle his boarding. Hunter needed to be transferred from his personal power wheelchair to a narrower aisle wheelchair designed for navigating the airplane cabin.
Critical Safety Failures
When the family approached the boarding ramp for the chair transfer, they were met by a lone assistant who attempted to board Hunter by himself. The legal filing states that the aisle wheelchair should have been equipped with safety straps to secure the passenger, but the one used for Hunter did not have any. After being pushed up the ramp in this unsafe chair, Hunter was allegedly thrown out, landing face-first on the aircraft floor.
Due to his disability, Hunter was unable to use his hands to break his fall. The lawsuit claims that both the wheelchair and the unidentified assistant pushing it fell on top of him. It is further alleged that no flight crew members attempted to help the wheelchair assistant, despite him utilizing an unsafe boarding method.
Aftermath and Legal Allegations
Hunter's father and brother rushed to his aid. He was removed from the plane and taken to a hospital for emergency medical care. Tragically, he died from his injuries the next morning, approximately fifteen hours after the incident. The West Virginia Department of Health listed his cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries.
The lawsuit contends that Allegiant's conduct made Hunter's boarding inherently unsafe, directly causing his fall and subsequent death. It accuses the airline of negligence in its hiring and training processes, alleging that the company employed staff who were unfit or incompetent for their job duties due to inadequate policies. The suit also notes that Hunter's father and brother suffered serious emotional distress from witnessing the fall and his death hours later.
Airline Response and Legal Proceedings
A spokesperson for Allegiant told the Daily Mail that the company cannot comment on pending litigation but extended its deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones. The lawsuit, filed in Nevada where Allegiant is based, seeks damages exceeding $15,000 and requests a jury trial. This case highlights critical concerns regarding airline procedures and safety for passengers with disabilities.
