Overview
- North Carolina mother Swetha Neerukonda filed a federal suit on Oct. 31 in Alexandria, Virginia, seeking $5 million and a jury trial.
- The complaint alleges a flight attendant fed her 3-year-old a KitKat despite repeated warnings about dairy and nut allergies, then mocked the mother’s concerns.
- The child went into severe anaphylaxis on the April 9 Dulles–Doha flight, received an EpiPen from her mother, and later spent two days in an ICU after a second reaction post-landing in India.
- The filing claims crew failed to follow emergency procedures, including making a PA call for medical assistance; Qatar Airways has not publicly responded or filed a formal response.
- Coverage highlights broader questions about airline allergy preparedness, noting FAA rules do not require EpiPens on planes, which instead carry epinephrine vials that generally need a trained professional to administer.