Qatar Airways Faces $5 Million Lawsuit After Flight Attendant Gave Allergic Child Kit Kat
DOHA, Qatar - A mother is suing Qatar Airways for $5 million after her 3-year-old daughter suffered a near-fatal allergic reaction to a Kit Kat bar given to her mid-flight by a flight attendant, according to a complaint filed October 31 and reported by the New York Post. the incident occurred on April 9 during a flight from the United States to India with a layover in Doha.
The child has severe allergies to nuts and lactose. The mother had repeatedly alerted flight attendants to her daughter’s allergies prior to briefly using the restroom. While the mother was away, a flight attendant offered the child a Kit Kat.
Upon her return, the mother discovered the flight attendant had given her daughter the chocolate bar. She instantly confronted the attendant, who, according to the complaint, ”mocked and minimized her concerns.” The child quickly went into anaphylactic shock, requiring her mother to administer an epinephrine auto-injector. A second anaphylactic reaction occurred shortly before landing in India.
The girl was hospitalized in intensive care for two days, initially with a life-threatening prognosis, before her condition stabilized. The lawsuit alleges the flight crew was ”blasé” and “very indifferent,” failing to take appropriate action such as contacting medical assistance or seeking a doctor onboard.
“A mother should be able to trust a flight attendant to watch her child for a few minutes,” the mother’s lawyer told the New York Post. The lawsuit seeks damages for the “grate pain, agony and mental anguish” suffered by the child.
