What if the item was not compensatable in money terms, like a baby or something??
This very specifically reminds me of when the wife and I were in Barcelona airport heading to Rome. They overbooked about 8 of us, all couples. Only one seat left. One guy let his girlfriend go alone and the rest of us stranded until the next day.
But I was not having it so we fought and, amazingly, there's literally nobody in charge in the entire airport. There's staff at the counter, staff walking around, but no managers of any kind. Nobody you can escalate to or get any questions answered. By design, I guess.
Well for us, it was too late to go to Rome by then so we had to cancel. The staff wouldn't let us despite our protests. Thankfully, after walking around lost, there was a shift change, and we asked the new guy. Still being full of energy for the day, he easily found a flight to Florence as we requested. So we did that... but where do we get our suitcases?? Basement, I went down to a miserable woman in a queue moving without exaggeration about 1 person every 40 minutes.
By the time I got to her, she told me they already re-booked my flights to Rome so the suitcases aren't with her. I'm staring at her with the most manly scolding eyes I think I've ever threatened anyone with and did a Neo-style 'No'. In her miserable, Karen-like fear she made a call, then told me to stand aside for another 40 minutes or so and I got my bags.
Anyway we got on the flight to Florence just in time but the process of getting the compensation was months-long. I refused to give up and I did get like 600 euros in the end I think which was pretty neat.