William Howell, 37, became seriously ill while preparing to board his flight back to the UK and returned back at the hotel where he was staying – but was found dead the following day
The family of a Brit dad who never boarded a flight home while his pregnant wife waited at the airport has launched a lawsuit against a hotel – claiming they left him alone to die.
Type 1 diabetic William Howell, 37, became seriously ill as he prepared to board his Virgin flight back to the UK from Harry Reid International Airport on August 30, 2023 while his wife prepared to wait for him. But he was permitted to return to his hotel alone and was later found dead.
His wife is now taking legal action against Aria Casino Hotel in Las Vegas as well as its security team and ambulance company as well as its crew on the grounds of wrongful death. In Nevada, cases such as this can result in settlements of millions of dollars if successful.
The lawsuit brought by the family outlines how Mr Howell’s flight was delayed as emergency help was sought before he was placed in a wheelchair as a precautionary measure. Medics Alexandra Gangemi and Dominique Johnson, arrived to take his vitals at 8:46pm and noted elevated blood sugar levels.
The lawsuit also alleged the medics “spent no more than two minutes” with Mr Howell before he electronically signed a form refusing medical transport. Court documents claim the ambulance staff “did not properly inform decedent (Mr Howell) of the consequences of failing to seek attention, did not properly assess decedent’s mental capacity, did not perform the proper testing and did not follow policies and procedures.”
Despite being seriously unwell, Ms Howell was allowed to take an Uber back to the Aira Casino Hotel, where he stayed during his holiday. When he arrived, Mr Howell, originally from Newton Abbot, Devon, reportedly fell out of the taxi. The lawsuit alleges that despite being told about his diabetic condition, hotel staff ignored clear warning signs. Aria security helped him to his former room and new keys were issued at 10:10pm.
While Mr Howell was accompanied by staff to re-enter the room, he was later left alone. The following day, Emma Howell, who was pregnant with their second child, waited for her husband at Heathrow Airport. When he didn’t arrive, the family called the hotel and urged staff to check his room. His body was found inside the room by a employee with tech firm Cisco at about 12:24pm nearly 14 hours after he was last seen.
The Las Vegas medical examiner later confirmed his cause of death as being diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition treatable with quick medical intervention. His wife has since filed a five-count civil lawsuit in Nevada’s Eighth Judicial District Court, which names Aria, its parent company MGM Resorts International, Community Ambulance, the hotel’s security firm and the two medics as defendants.
The lawsuit goes on to allege gross negligence and wrongful acts that directly led to his death. It also claimed that had Mr Howell been given proper care at any stage at the airport or hotel, or even later that night, he would have likely survived. But it claims a series of failures led to his death. Mr Howell’s family is seeking damages for negligence, emotional distress and financial loss.
