Passenger claims he suffered heart attack because seatbelt on Delta plane malfunctioned while landing
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Passenger claims he suffered heart attack because seatbelt on Delta plane malfunctioned while landing")
Delta plane seatbelt malfunctioned, sending the man crashing into the bulkhead. Photograph: (Unsplash)
A passenger hit the bulkhead after a plane landed in New York as his seatbelt malfunctioned. He has sued Delta AirLines for negligence in maintenance and is seeking compensation for the medical problems he suffered afterwards.
A passenger has sued Delta AirLines after the seatbelt failed during landing, leaving him unconscious. Darrin Roth from Bayside, Wisconsin, has claimed that the seatbelt snapped when he was travelling from Tampa, Florida, to New York City with his wife. According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he had to be taken to a hospital in Queens on a stretcher.
The incident happened in January 2025. In the months that followed, Roth says he suffered a heart attack and had to undergo a quadruple bypass surgery. He also had a cervical fusion operation in November 2025, and claims this was all because of the seatbelt mishap.
After the plane landed, Roth says the seatbelt failed to safeguard him, and he was thrown into the bulkhead and immediately lost consciousness. Flight attendants inspected the seatbelt and noticed a malfunction. Roth has alleged in the lawsuit that Delta is responsible and slammed it for negligent maintenance of equipment. They are seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Insurance problem with an airplane mishap
Even though New York is a no-fault state, meaning your own insurer pays medical costs and lost pay, Roth may not be able to claim damages under it. This is because the accident involved a commercial airline flight governed by federal aviation standards and common carrier law, Simple Flying said. Since the attendants admitted that the seatbelt had malfunctioned, it is clear evidence of a breach of duty.
The lawsuit would likely focus on the amount of medical compensation since Delta's liability for a broken seatbelt is clear. However, Delta's defence attorneys might argue in court that the heart attack and other problems were due to pre-existing conditions. The "Eggshell Skull Rule" for more compensation might be applicable in this case if Delta is found liable. Even if a hidden medical condition is detected, the defendant is still fully liable for any harm caused.
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