The family of Jason Hu, 16, claims his deceased body was “laid out behind his father and sister” until he was pronounced dead in New York in August 2024
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NEED TO KNOW
- Jason Hu’s family alleges Qatar Airways served him a sandwich containing allergens despite being informed of his severe allergies
- A lawsuit claims the airline’s medical equipment, including an oxygen tank and epinephrine injector, was non-operational
- The family is suing Qatar Airways and MedAire for damages, alleging negligence in medical response and safety protocols led to Jason’s death
A family traveling internationally on a Qatar Airways flight claims their 16-year-old son died after suffering a severe allergic reaction triggered by a sandwich served on board.
The family of Jason Hu filed a civil complaint against Qatar Airways and MedAire — a medical and travel safety services company — on July 14 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit stems from an incident that allegedly occurred on Aug. 21, 2024.
The family claims Jason was traveling back home to the U.S. with his sister Erica Hu and father Eric Hu after a trip to China. The journey back home included a connecting flight from Doha, Qatar, to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), per the complaint, obtained by PEOPLE.
Credit: Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty
Jason suffered from food allergies to peanuts, dairy and fish, the family claims. During the flight, both Eric and Jason reportedly communicated that information to flight crew members. However, Qatar Airways personnel allegedly reassured the product was, specifically a sandwich, “was safe for Jason to eat,” per the complaint.
However, immediately after eating the product, “Jason began experiencing breathing issues and thereafter collapsed due to his inability to breathe,” the complaint says. Jason allegedly tried to use a nebulizer, but it “failed to provide any relief.”
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A flight crew member then “administered an unknown injection to Jason, which also failed to provide any relief,” the complaint further alleges. “The flight crew provided a portable oxygen tank to administer, which was not operational and/or did not work.”
Jason was subsequently believed to be deceased and “remained laid out behind his father and sister for the remainder of the flight, with a non-operational oxygen mask remaining on his face,” the family claims. He was officially pronounced dead upon arrival at JFK, per the complaint.
Jason’s father and Jenny Nguyen, the co-administrators of Jason’s estate, are now suing Qatar Airways and MedAire seeking compensatory damages for the teen’s death. The plaintiffs are demanding a trial by jury.
The lawsuit claims Qatar Airways failed to ensure that onboard medical equipment was operational, including the oxygen tank and epinephrine auto-injector.
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The family further claims MedAire failed to provide adequate medical and diversion advice to the flight crew.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Hu family’s attorney, Qatar Airways and MedAire for comment.
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