In a shocking incident, a southern California cardiologist died after choking on a meal aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Los Angeles to Sri Lanka, allegedly after the airline failed to provide the vegetarian meal he had ordered. His family has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the airline, accusing it of negligence and failure to make an emergency landing, reported by Independent.
According to the complaint filed by his son, 85-year-old Dr. Asoka Jayaweera, a strict vegetarian, boarded a Qatar Airways flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a stopover in Doha, on June 23, 2023. About two-and-a-half hours into the 15-and-a-half-hour journey, he requested the vegetarian meal he had pre-ordered.
However, flight attendants reportedly told him that no vegetarian meals were left and handed him a regular meal containing meat. According to the lawsuit, crew members advised Jayaweera to “eat around” the meat. While attempting to do so, he began to choke.
Cabin crew members immediately tried to assist him and contacted MedAire, a Phoenix-based company that provides emergency medical guidance to airlines. Despite efforts to help, Jayaweera’s oxygen saturation dropped to 69 percent, far below the safe level of 88 percent. The lawsuit claimed that the pilot refused to make an emergency landing, telling Jayaweera’s travel companion that the aircraft was “over the Arctic Circle and about to cross the Arctic Ocean.” However, his son, Surya Jayaweera, alleged that the flight was actually over the Midwestern United States at the time and could have easily diverted to a nearby airport.
Jayaweera reportedly lost consciousness several hours later. The flight did not land until it reached Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was taken to a hospital. Doctors declared him dead on August 3, 2023, citing aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection caused by inhaling food or liquid.
Family Seeks Compensation for Alleged Negligence
The lawsuit, first filed in California state court on July 31 and later moved to federal court on October 3, accused Qatar Airways of wrongful death and negligence.It sought damages exceeding the compensation limit set by the Montreal Convention, an international treaty governing airline liability. The treaty then capped payouts for in-flight deaths and injuries at about $175,000.
Qatar Airways offers 19 special meal options, including seven vegetarian or vegan choices. The family argued that the airline failed to provide the meal that Dr. Jayaweera had specifically requested.
The airline has not yet responded to requests for comment.