Latest news with #DrDoreenBenary
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
US woman sues Singapore Airlines over alleged allergy oversight that led to emergency landing
Singapore Airlines is facing a lawsuit in the United States after a New York paediatrician claimed she suffered a severe allergic reaction mid-flight when she was served shrimp despite having warned cabin crew of her shellfish allergy. The incident forced the aircraft to divert to Paris for emergency medical care. In a complaint filed on Tuesday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Dr Doreen Benary alleged that her explicit allergy disclosure was overlooked during meal service on Singapore Airlines flight SQ026 from Frankfurt to New York on October 8. Benary, 41, was flying business class and had informed the crew of her allergy to shrimp after boarding, according to the court filing. Nonetheless, she was allegedly served a dish containing the allergen and became ill shortly after eating it. 'Nearly immediately after ingesting a portion of said meal, Plaintiff detected the presence of shrimp and began to feel ill,' the complaint states. When she questioned the crew, a flight attendant 'admitted that she had made an error and apologised'. The flight was subsequently diverted to Paris, where Benary was taken by ambulance and treated at two different medical facilities. Filed under the Montreal Convention – the international treaty that governs liability in international air travel – the lawsuit accuses Singapore Airlines of negligence, arguing the incident meets the legal threshold of an 'accident', defined as an 'unexpected or unusual event or occurrence external to the passenger'.
CNA
17 hours ago
- Health
- CNA
US passenger sues Singapore Airlines, claims allergic reaction to shrimp meal
SINGAPORE: A New York-based paediatrician has sued Singapore Airlines (SIA) for allegedly serving her a meal containing shrimp when she had already informed crew members of her allergy, causing her to suffer a severe allergic reaction. On Oct 8, 2024, Dr Doreen Benary said she had informed one or more crew members after boarding the flight from Frankfurt to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York that she suffers from a shrimp allergy. Despite being informed of her allergy, cabin crew still served Dr Benary, a business class passenger, a meal containing shrimp, court documents show. Dr Benary, unaware that the meal contained shrimp, ate a portion of the meal. Almost immediately after, she "detected the presence of shrimp and began to feel ill". She then claimed she questioned the flight attendant, who admitted she had made an error and apologised. Dr Benary subsequently suffered a 'severe' allergic reaction to the shrimp and fell 'violently ill', requiring the aircraft to make an emergency diversion to Paris, according to court documents. She was then transported by ambulance and underwent emergency medical treatment at two separate medical facilities. Dr Benary said via court documents she had suffered 'great pain, agony and mental anguish' because of the incident, where she was required to undergo 'painful, emergency medical treatment'. She added she suffered both economic and non-economic loss as a result of the incident, and was deprived of her 'enjoyment of life, pursuits and interests' and believes she will continue to be deprived of these in the future. Based on court documents, Dr Benary is asking SIA to pay 'full, fair and reasonable damages' in an amount to be determined at trial. In response to CNA queries, SIA said on Friday (Jun 20) it is "unable to comment on matters before the court". Symptoms associated with shrimp allergies can range from mild irritation such as rashes, hives, nausea and abdominal pain, to more severe symptoms such as tightening of the airway, difficulty in breathing, severe dizziness and loss of consciousness.
