Her parents joined relatives of other blood-clot victims in a lawsuit against 18 airlines. That suit was dismissed by an appeals court in London in July, but lawyers for the families said they are trying to get the House of Lords to overturn that decision.
The Air Transport Association, the industry's main trade group in this country, said it is starting to look more into deep vein thrombosis, but does not mandate or suggest to airlines that they take cautionary or preventive steps.
"In our view, there are no direct relationships between air travel and deep vein thrombosis," said Dave Berg, general counsel for the trade group.
Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms, usually in a person's legs. Most clots dissolve, but if one breaks off, it can be lethal.
Even if not fatal, clots can be debilitating, some people say. Miller had to have open-heart surgery after the clot moved to her heart, and she is now permanently on blood thinners, Danko said.
Certain people have a higher chance of getting deep vein thrombosis -- those who are older or overweight, for example, or those who have recently had surgery.
RSS