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 following his tragic death. The Aria Casino Hotel, its security team, and the ambulance company along with its crew are being sued by the wife of William Howell.
Mr Howell, a 37 year old type 1 diabetic, fell critically ill while preparing to board his Virgin flight back to London from Harry Reid International Airport on 30 August 2023. His condition prompted a delay in the flight as medical assistance was sought, and he was placed in a wheelchair as a precautionary measure.
Paramedics Alexandra Gangemi and Dominique Johnson arrived at the scene at 8.46pm, took Mr Howell’s vitals and noted his elevated blood sugar levels. However, the lawsuit alleges that they spent no more than two minutes with him before he electronically signed a form refusing medical transport.
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”, reports The Mirror.
Despite showing clear signs of illness, Mr Howell, an Oxford-educated man originally from Newton Abbot, Devon, was permitted to take an Uber back to the Aira Casino Hotel where he had been staying. Upon arrival, it is alleged that hotel staff overlooked obvious warning signs of his deteriorating health, even after being informed of his diabetic condition.
After falling out of the vehicle, Aria security assisted him to his previous room and issued a new key at 10.10pm since he had already checked out.
Although accompanied by hotel staff to reenter his room, Mr Howell was left alone. The following day, his wife Mrs Howell, who was pregnant with their second son Jack, anxiously awaited his arrival at Heathrow Airport on his scheduled flight.
When he failed to show up, concerned relatives reached out to Aria, urging them to check on him in his room. At 12.24pm, nearly 14 hours after he was last seen, hotel 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 could have been managed with timely medical intervention.
In response to this tragic event, his wife Emma has launched a five-count civil lawsuit in Nevada’s Eighth Judicial District Court. The defendants named in the suit include Aria, its parent company MGM Resorts International, Community Ambulance, the hotel’s security firm, and the two medics involved.
The lawsuit filed alleges gross negligence and wrongful acts that directly resulted in his death. The claim suggests that had he received appropriate care at any point – be it at the airport, upon arrival at Aria, or even later that night – his life could have been saved.
Instead, a chain of failures led to his tragic death. Mr Howell’s family is now seeking damages for negligence, emotional distress, and financial losses. MGM Resorts and Community Ambulance have yet to issue a statement. Johnson, aspiring model influencer Gangemi, and Community Ambulance have sought to have the case against them dismissed, with a hearing set for March 5.
Friends of the “hugely popular” account manager raised nearly £20,000 for diabetes research charity Breakthrough T1D by running the London marathon. One friend paid tribute to him, saying: “Will was ONE IN A MILLION and his loss was and will always be felt by everyone that had the privilege to have met and known him. His zest for life was unparalleled. 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.”
