American Damaged Brother's Wheelchair And Refuses To Pay

A couple months ago, I picked up my brother from the airport and noticed he was leaning awkwardly in his wheelchair. It turns out that, while handling his chair, American Airlines Employees were so aggressive, they cracked a metal bar on the back of the chair.

This is not the first time something like has happened. For those of you who have a disability or a family member, you know how awful air travel is. From damaged wheelchairs, to seating issues, to policies like not allowing your caretaker to help you onto a flight and, instead, having untrained employees carry you from a wheelchair to your seat. It's genuinely miserable. (and, if we took the ADA seriously, should violate federal law)

This is, however, the first time they refused to pay. My brother spoke to someone at the gate, right when he deplaned, who gave him contact info. After some back and forth, they denied his request without ever even seeing the damage. We've tried to escalate to no avail. We're kind of at a lost now. It'll probably take ~$500 to fix the wheelchair, which makes filing a lawsuit feel not worth it. We also don't really have the means to hire a lawyer. Thoughts? Appreciate any advice in advance!