Lawsuit Against Qatar Airways After Cardiologist Suffers Choking Incident
Qatar Airways is currently facing legal action from the family of an 83-year-old cardiologist who tragically choked to death on a flight, following a meal mix-up.
The incident occurred in June 2023, during Asoka Jayaweera’s flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Sri Lanka, with a stopover at Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH).
The family claims that Jayaweera, a dedicated vegetarian, had requested a vegetarian meal in advance of his journey.
However, during the first segment of the flight, a flight attendant informed him that vegetarian options were unavailable. Instead, he was provided with a non-vegetarian meal and allegedly told to “eat around” the meat.
It was reported that Jayaweera began to choke while attempting to navigate his meal, which led to a dire emergency situation.
Flight crew members rushed to assist him, and, according to The Independent, they contacted MedAire, a medical service based in Arizona that supports airline crews with telemedicine.
Despite efforts to respond to his declining condition, Qatar Airways crew notified Jayaweera’s travel companion that an emergency diversion was impossible due to the flight nearing the Arctic Ocean.
The family asserts that throughout the remainder of the flight, Jayaweera’s oxygen levels were critically low and that he lost consciousness by the time the aircraft landed in Edinburgh. Jayaweera tragically passed away in an Edinburgh hospital on August 3, 2023, due to aspiration pneumonia.
The Jayaweera family is now pursuing legal action for negligence and wrongful death, seeking damages that exceed the limits set by the Montreal Convention. They aim to have the exact amount determined at trial, along with pre-judgment interest, court costs, and legal fees.
What do you think about the responsibilities airlines have to their passengers regarding dietary requests?
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