A wrongful death lawsuit claims that a Planet Fitness manager in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, refused to allow bystanders to use the gym’s defibrillator on a man who suffered a heart attack near the facility, leading to his death.
Guy Harris, 46, a married father of two, collapsed outside the Planet Fitness on January 22 after experiencing symptoms of a heart attack.
According to the lawsuit filed by his wife, Taniqua Morene-Harris, Harris had pulled over near the gym after feeling unwell while driving his 11-year-old son.
After Harris went into cardiac arrest, his son called 911 and asked for help, the lawsuit states.
A good Samaritan, trained in CPR, began attempting to resuscitate Harris, while another person attempted to get an automated external defibrillator (AED) from the gym.
However, the lawsuit alleges that a Planet Fitness manager at the Clifton Heights location refused to allow the device to be used, despite being informed that Harris was dying outside.
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AEDs are critical in emergencies like heart attacks, delivering shocks to help restore a person’s heartbeat.
Harris was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead later that day, just one day before his son’s 12th birthday.
The lawsuit names Planet Fitness Inc. and the local franchise operator, Keystone NFP Clifton LLC, accusing them of negligence for failing to assist during a life-threatening situation.
Elizabeth Crawford, the family’s attorney, called the manager’s refusal to allow the AED use a “deliberate decision to withhold life-saving measures.” The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial.
Planet Fitness has yet to comment on the case, and it remains unclear why the manager allegedly denied the life-saving intervention.
