- - Wheelchair User Sues American Airlines After She Was Allegedly ‘Abandoned’ at Gate, 'Forced' to Spend Night in Airport

Natalia SenanayakeNovember 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM

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A plane passenger is accusing American Airlines and its regional partner Envoy Air of negligence following an April 2025 incident at Miami International Airport

In the complaint filed on Nov. 7, Gloryanna Samuel claims she was “abandoned” at the gate when she needed wheelchair assistance

She then missed her flight and was allegedly “forced” to sleep at the airport overnight, which she claims worsened her preexisting medical conditions

A plane passenger has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines and its regional partner Envoy Air after they were allegedly “abandoned” at Miami International Airport when they needed wheelchair assistance.

According to the complaint filed on Nov. 7 and obtained by PEOPLE, 54-year-old Gloryanna Samuel was traveling from St. Croix to Tampa, with a connection in Miami, when the incident occurred in April 2025.

The filing states that Samuel needs wheelchair assistance when she travels as she has a number of medical conditions, including diabetes, for which she receives regular dialysis treatments, and high blood pressure.

“Samuel's ticket reservation included a request for wheelchair assistance,” the document claims, noting Envoy provides wheelchair services to passengers under a contract with American.

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty

American Airlines plane

According to the complaint, Envoy provided a wheelchair for Samuel when she arrived at Miami International Airport for her connection to Tampa. After her arrival, Envoy allegedly “abandoned her in her wheelchair” at the gate, causing her to miss her next flight.

She was then rebooked on another flight that was not scheduled to leave until the next morning, however, “neither American nor Envoy offered Samuel a hotel room even after Samuel made a request for a room,” the document alleges.

Samuel then had to stay overnight at the airport in a “cold public room,” where she was allegedly “forced” to sleep on a chair. This resulted in “severe physical discomfort” and worsened her preexisting medical conditions, the document states.

D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty

Miami International Airport

“As a direct result of being forced to sleep in the chair and the lack of proper assistance, Samuel suffered swelling in both feet and eyes, experienced pain in her left arm from having to use it as a headrest, and experienced elevated blood pressure, which was particularly dangerous given her pre-existing medical conditions,” per the complaint.

Claiming “negligence," the filing also seeks damages for the “physical pain and suffering, emotional distress and mental anguish” that the incident allegedly caused Samuel. The document also claims Samuel required additional medical attention and thus, she has accumulated medical expenses as a result.

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In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Samuel's attorney, Marina Leonard of Colianni & Leonard LLC, said, "This case shows how little respect and concern American Airlines has for its customers." Leonard also noted how the incident "should never have happened" and added, "we intend to get justice for Ms. Samuel."

A representative for American Airlines said they had no comment. PEOPLE also reached out to Miami International Airport but did not receive an immediate response.

According to American Airlines’ website, passengers can request wheelchair assistance at the airport for the following purposes: “travel to and from your gate, navigating between gates for connecting flights and transport to baggage claim.”

While it’s recommended to request assistance ahead of time, the airline notes, “you can also inform a team member at the airport about your wheelchair needs on the day of travel."

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Source: “AOL Breaking”