Is Las Vegas restaurant to blame for preventing a Hallmark actor’s sudden death?
Staff at ‘Aria and Javier’s’, a high-end Mexican restaurant on the strip allegedly ‘forcefully interfered’ to stop a female diner from performing potentially life-saving CPR, despite Heslin ‘exhibiting obvious signs of a medical emergency,’ according to the lawsuit seen by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Restaurant staff also allegedly failed to retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED) on hand at the premises the suit alleges.
Heslin’s friends, meanwhile, were ‘forcefully removed’ from the building as the Hallmark actor was dying, the suit claims.
Heslin’s friends attempted to record the incident, but were confronted by employees who ‘demanded’ any videos be deleted, alleges the lawsuit.
‘Michael’s death was an avoidable tragedy,’ stated the lawsuit. ‘Defendant’s failures, individually and cumulatively, proximately caused or substantially contributed to Michael’s preventable death.’
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| A wrongful death lawsuit is filed against a Las Vegas Strip property failing to perform lifesaving intervention on actor, Michael Heslin. |
Wrongful death lawsuit alleges negligence
Heslin died on July 2, 2024. A cause of death is not listed in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges five counts of wrongful death; loss of consortium; negligence; negligent hiring, retention, supervision and training; as well as gross negligence.
Wilson is asking for general and special damages in an amount in excess of $15,000; funeral expenses; loss of consortium in excess of $15,000; punitive damages; reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; interest; and such other relief as the court deems just and proper.
MGM Resorts International, which operates Aria, has to date declined to respond to media overtures for comment.
