James K. Styner

James Kenneth Styner (July 22, 1934 – January 22, 2024) was an American orthopedic surgeon who practiced in Lawndale, California. He was instrumental in the development of the advanced trauma life support (ATLS) program after his experiences in a private airplane crash in rural Nebraska.

Aircraft accident

On February 17, 1976, after attending a wedding, Styner flew his private airplane (a 6-seat Beechcraft Baron) from Los Angeles to his home in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Charlene was torn from the airplane and killed instantly. Kimberly, Kenneth, and Randal were unconscious with head injuries. James incurred rib fractures, wounds to his head and face, and a zygomatic fracture. Christopher had a fracture to the right forearm and a severe laceration to the right hand. The two of them were able to evacuate the unconscious children from the aircraft and after eight hours in sub-freezing conditions, James found a nearby road and flagged down a car. They were taken to a hospital a few miles south of the crash site in Hebron, Nebraska. He said later, "When I can provide better care in the field with limited resources than my children and I received at the primary facility, there is something wrong with the system, and the system has to be changed."

In 1980, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma adopted ATLS for domestic and international audiences. Styner himself recertified as an ATLS instructor in 2007, teaching his instructor candidate course in Nottingham, England and the Netherlands. Styner died on January 22, 2024, at the age of 89.