The family of a British man, hailed by friends as “one in a million”, has launched a wrongful death lawsuit against a Las Vegas hotel after he was left to die alone. The wife and two young sons of William Howell – one of whom was not yet born when he passed away – are taking legal action against the renowned Aria Casino Hotel in Sin City, its security team, and the ambulance company and crew involved.
If proven, such cases can result in multi-million dollar settlements in Nevada. Howell, a 37 year old type 1 diabetic, fell seriously ill while preparing to board his Virgin flight back to London from Harry Reid International Airport on 30 August 2023.
His flight was delayed as medical assistance was sought, and he was placed in a wheelchair as a precautionary measure. Medics Alexandra Gangemi and Dominique Johnson arrived at 8.46pm, took his vitals, and noted his high blood sugar levels.
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However, the lawsuit alleges that they spent no more than two minutes with Howell before he electronically signed a medical transport refusal form. Court documents claim that 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 appearing visibly ill, Mr Howell was permitted to take an Uber back to the Aira Casino Hotel where he had been staying. Upon arrival, the Oxford-educated man from Newton Abbot, Devon, fell out of the vehicle, reports the Mirror.
It is alleged that despite being informed of his diabetic condition, hotel staff overlooked clear warning signs. Aria security assisted him to his former room and a new key was issued at 10.10pm. Although he was accompanied by hotel employees to re-enter the room, he was subsequently left alone. The following day, Mrs Howell, who was pregnant with their second son Jack, awaited his arrival at Heathrow Airport on his scheduled flight.
When he did not show up, relatives contacted Aria, urging staff to check his room. At 12.24pm, nearly 14 hours after he was last seen, staff discovered Mr Howell dead in his room.
The Las Vegas medical examiner later confirmed and recorded his cause of death as diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition that can be treated with timely medical intervention. His wife Emma and sons Louis and Jack have filed a five-count civil lawsuit in Nevada’s Eighth Judicial District Court against Aria, its parent company MGM Resorts International, Community Ambulance, the hotel’s security firm, and the two medics
The lawsuit claims gross negligence and wrongful actions directly resulted in his death. It alleges that if he had received appropriate care at any point – at the airport, upon arrival at Aria, or even later that night – he would likely have survived.
Instead, a series of failures led directly to his demise. Mr Howell’s family is seeking damages for negligence, emotional distress, and financial losses. MGM Resorts and Community Ambulance have not yet responded. Johnson, aspiring model influencer Gangemi, and Community Ambulance have requested the case against them be dismissed, with a hearing set for March 5.
Friends of the “extremely popular” account manager raised nearly £20,000 for the charity Breakthrough T1D, which supports diabetes research, by running the London marathon. One friend described him as: “Will was ONE IN A MILLION and his loss was and will always be felt by everyone who had the privilege to meet and know him. His zest for life was unlike anyone else I’ve ever met. For anyone who knew Will and even those who didn’t, this is such an important charity, please join us in honouring Will and donating anything you can. We miss you Will.”