The family of a British man, described by friends as “one in a million”, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Las Vegas hotel after he was allegedly left alone to die.
William Howell’s wife and two young sons – one of whom was unborn when he died – are suing the city’s famous Aria Casino Hotel, its security as well as the ambulance company and crew. Such cases, if proven, can run into millions of dollars in settlements in Nevada.
The 37-year-old type 1 diabetic became gravely ill at Harry Reid International Airport while attempting to board his Virgin flight home to London on August 30 2023. It was delayed as medical assistance was requested. As a precaution staff placed Mr Howell into a wheelchair, reports the Mirror.
After an ambulance was called, medics Alexandra Gangemi and Dominique Johnson arrived at 8.46pm and took his vitals and noted his high blood sugar, but the lawsuit alleges the medics “spent no more than two minutes” with the patient before he electronically signed a medical transport refusal form.
According to court papers, the ambulance workers “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 visibly unwell, he was allowed to take an Uber back to the Aira Casino Hotel where he had been staying. On arrival, Oxford-educated Mr Howell, originally from Newton Abbot, Devon, fell out of the vehicle, and it is alleged that staff ignored clear warning signs despite being told he was diabetic. Aria security helped him to his former room, but since he had checked out, a new key was issued to Mr Howell at 10.10pm.
After reentering the room with hotel employees, he was then left alone. The next day, Mrs Howell, who was pregnant with the couple’s second son Jack at the time, waited for him at Heathrow Airport, expecting him on his scheduled flight, but when he failed to arrive, relatives contacted Aria, urging staff to check his room.
At 12.24pm, nearly 14 hours after he was last seen, staff entered the room and found Mr Howell, who worked for technology firm Cisco, dead. His cause of death was later confirmed and recorded by the Las Vegas medical examiner as diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition treatable with timely medical intervention.
His wife Emma and sons Louis and Jack have subsequently filed a five-count civil lawsuit in Nevada’s Eighth Judicial District Court, naming Aria, its parent company MGM Resorts International, Community Ambulance, the hotel’s security firm, and the two medics as defendants.
The case alleges gross negligence and wrongful acts that directly led to Mr Howell’s tragic death. The lawsuit claims that had he received proper care at any stage – at the airport, upon arriving at Aria, or even at any time through that night – he would likely have survived.
Instead, a series of failures led directly to his death. Mr Howell’s family is now seeking damages for negligence, emotional distress, and financial losses. MGM Resorts and Community Ambulance have yet to comment. Johnson, wanna-be model influencer Gangemi, and Community Ambulance have applied to have the case dismissed against them, and a hearing has been scheduled for March 5.
Friends of the “hugely popular” account manager raised a whopping sum of almost £20,000 for the charity Breakthrough T1D, which funds research into diabetes, after running the London marathon. One said of him: “Will was ONE IN A MILLION and his loss was and will always be felt by every one that had the privilege to have met and known him. His thirst for life was like no-one else I’ve ever met. For anyone that knew Will and even those that didn’t, this is such an important charity, please join us in honouring Will and donating anything you can. We miss you Will.”
Mr Howell’s death is not the first case of alleged negligence at a resort in Las Vegas. Back in 2022, a Florida lawyer, David Jagolinzer, suffered a fatal heart attack at a Wynn Las Vegas blackjack table. A lawsuit claims staff ignored him for 15 minutes, with the dealer continuing to deal cards as he lay unconscious and later died from complications, and that case is still ongoing.