More than ten months have passed since 14-year-old Landon Payton tragically collapsed and died during a physical education class at Marshall Middle School, yet his family remains without clear answers regarding the circumstances surrounding his death.
Chris Tritico, the attorney representing Payton’s family, has indicated that a wrongful death lawsuit against Houston Independent School District (HISD) is a possibility. He is currently enlisting an independent medical expert to examine the autopsy report, which was completed earlier this month by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The report failed to definitively identify the cause of Payton’s death.
“We don’t know what it is, at this point, that killed him,” Tritico stated. “I was waiting for the medical examiner, and now I have to wait for my own expert. The medical examiner left me still with questions.”
A crucial aspect of this investigation revolves around the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), a device mandated in Texas public schools to treat sudden cardiac arrest. Following Payton’s death, the president of the Houston Federation of Teachers revealed that a school employee attempted to use an AED on him, but it was reportedly not functioning.
HISD had acknowledged shortly after the incident that 170 out of over 1,000 AEDs across its campuses were not operational at the time of Payton’s passing on August 14. Records obtained by Houston Public Media revealed that the AED located in the gym at Marshall Middle School had expired electrode pads found during an inspection conducted three months prior. It remains uncertain whether those pads were replaced before Payton’s fatal collapse.
Tritico stressed the importance of confirming whether the AED was functional on the day of the incident. Additionally, he is contemplating legal action against the manufacturer of the device. “When you have a presumably healthy kid that drops, just dies, the failure of an AED if it’s operating properly or at all is generally a big factor,” he remarked.
The autopsy report indicated that Payton had “no significant past medical history” and had displayed seizure-like activity shortly before collapsing at school. Notably, no abnormalities were found in his brain or heart.
Although the report showed chronic kidney damage in Payton, it was deemed “not significant enough to be considered causal in the death.” Genetic predispositions to conditions such as malignant hyperthermia, which can trigger significant heart rate increases, and epileptic encephalopathies, which can result in seizures, were also highlighted. The medical examiner noted that these genetic variations might have been contributing factors to the tragedy.
At this point, the report indicates that Payton’s death remains unexplainable, with possibilities encompassing natural causes, such as sudden death associated with an unidentified genetic abnormality, as well as accidental causes related to undetected drug toxicity.
Tritico has drawn a parallel between Payton’s case and that of NFL player Damar Hamlin, who collapsed during a nationally televised game and was successfully resuscitated using an AED. He pointed out that Hamlin shares the same genetic issue as Payton and has notably returned to playing football.
“And he’s playing again today,” Tritico exclaimed. “And so, if it was the genetic disorder that killed him, the AED that saved that football player’s life has him back on the field today.”
Yet, the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of Payton’s death has left his family in great distress. Tritico emphasized that they are struggling to find solace and closure while they continue to seek answers regarding their loss.
“They’re grappling for answers,” Tritico articulated. “They’re just crushed over this and reeling still.”
image source from：houstonpublicmedia
