The family of a passenger aboard a Delta flight is suing the airlines after the passenger later died as a result of injuries he sustained while boarding the aircraft.

Ricardo Lopez Rangel was traveling on vacation with his family from Los Angeles to Hawaii on July 13, 2021. Rangel, who is wheelchair-bound, was required to go through a separate boarding procedure because of his wheelchair. The boarding procedure required Rangel to be taken to a different aircraft door where he would be pushed up a ramp to board the plane.

The family details that during his boarding, the airline staff was pushing Rangel up what has been described as a steep ramp. As he was being pushed up the ramp, his wheelchair fell backward causing him to fall and severely injure himself.

As a result of the fall, he suffered several skull fractures, lacerations, and other health issues. Following the injury, his health continued to decline until August 26, when he eventually passed away due to his injuries.

The complaint which was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court details that when Rangel was taken to the separate boarding entrance, Rangel's wife, Elva Lopez Navvaro, told the employees that she wanted to come along and assist in her husband's boarding. The employees reportedly told Navarro that neither she nor her mother could assist in helping board Rangel.

As a result of the incident, Navarro filed a lawsuit along with the couple's three children. The lawsuit targets Delta Airlines for wrongful death and negligence. The suit also names the operators of LAX and the Los Angeles World Airports as co-defendants as they oversee operations and logistics when it comes to procedures on the ground.

According to the family's complaint, they detail that both Delta and the airport were negligent because they failed to properly hire staff who were trained in helping board individuals needing special boarding assistance. They also detail there was a failure in properly hiring staff to supervise those workers who were helping wheelchair-bound individuals.

According to the family's lawyer, the ramp set up by the airline workers was “unsafe” and “dangerous.”

As a result of Rangel's death, his wife and children detail in the suit that they have lost not only their loved one but are suffering the loss of financial support due to the death brought on by the airline and airport negligence. The family is reportedly asking the court to award damages for loss of love and affection.

While neither the airline nor the airport has issued a statement regarding the lawsuit, the airline has shared that they are committed to the safety of passengers with disabilities. They detail that their in-house advisory board “promotes accessibility for all of our customers by providing recommendations to Delta related to training, policies, procedures and anything that impacts the travel experience of people with disabilities.”