Airline Sued Over Lack of Heart Device

United Airlines has been sued by the widow of a first-class passenger who died of a heart attack during a flight from Boston to San Francisco.

In her lawsuit, filed recently in U.S. District Court in Boston, Jamie Somes alleged that her husband, Steven, a 37-year-old mutual fund manager, would have survived the attack in October 1995 if the airplane had been outfitted with a portable defibrillator, which delivers an electric shock that can sometimes restore heart rhythm.

United spokesman Tony Molinaro said the airline is looking into “what the right medical equipment for the aircraft should be.” He declined to comment on the lawsuit. Two international airlines, Qantas and Virgin Atlantic, have carried defibrillators for several years.