Allegiant Air is facing a lawsuit from the family of a disabled passenger following a tragic incident that unfolded in March 2024.
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Hunter Adkins, 24, who lived with muscular dystrophy, was boarding a flight at Huntington Tri-State Airport. He was alongside his father and nine-year-old brother when the situation turned fatal.
According to the lawsuit, Adkins was being rushed during the boarding process when he fell from a wheelchair, suffering injuries that led to his death hours later.
Airline Passenger Dies After Alleged Boarding Mishap
The lawsuit claims that the aircraft's captain instructed staff to speed up boarding, per the Las Vegas Review Journal. This created a rushed and unsafe environment.
It also alleges that additional wheelchair assistants who were meant to help Adkins had been reassigned elsewhere.
As a result, Adkins was reportedly transferred from his motorized wheelchair to an aisle wheelchair without proper assistance.
"The lawsuit said that federal regulations require airlines to use aisle wheelchairs — a narrower device equipped with safety straps — to safely board mobility-impaired passengers," The Las Vegas Review Journal's Akiya Dillon wrote.
"According to the lawsuit, federal regulations also required Hunter Adkins to be assisted by two crew members. Neither protocol was followed, the lawsuit said."
Attorneys further claim that the wheelchair used did not have safety straps. Thus, increasing the risk during boarding.
The lawsuit alleges the chair tipped over as an assistant pushed Adkins up the ramp toward the aircraft.
Family Alleges Safety Failures in Wrongful Death Case
According to the filing, Adkins fell face-first onto the ground and, due to his condition, was unable to brace himself.
He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died approximately 15 hours later. Authorities determined the cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries.
His father, Tony Adkins, is now suing Allegiant Air for wrongful death, along with additional claims tied to alleged safety failures.
The lawsuit argues that the airline did not follow federal regulations designed to protect passengers with mobility impairments.
"'Despite being able to see how the wheelchair assistant was improperly boarding Hunter E. Adkins, crew members at the plane's entrance did nothing to intervene to ensure Hunter E. Adkins's safe boarding,' the lawsuit said," Dillon added.
The Adkins family is seeking damages "exceeding $15,000" and has requested a jury trial as the case moves forward.
