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Pret a Manger hit with lawsuit

August 25, 2016

A New York City man is suing Pret a Manger after he a went into anaphylactic shock. He alleges that the restaurant staff served him food containing sesame after assuring him the food was free of the allergen. The New York personal injury firm, Munawar & Andrews-Santillo, filed the suit on behalf of David Matt.

"First, we would like to commend Mr. Matt for deciding to take a stand and insist that companies be held responsible when they breach the public trust and serve dangerous food products without providing any warning," said a partner at the firm, Ashley Andres-Santillo. "Thankfully Mr. Matt survived going into shock, but we need to make sure not only that he is compensated, but also that steps are taken to avoid episodes like this from happening again.

"There is simply no excuse for serving unsafe, inadequately labeled food products and then misrepresenting their ingredients to customers — companies that adopt such practices must be stopped. It is our sincere hope that Mr. Matt receives the justice he deserves and that this case ultimately serves as a reminder to other businesses that there are consequences for cutting corners with the public's health and safety."

We've tried to reach someone at Pret a Manger for comment about the suit, but have yet to receive a response. We will update the story when and if the company responds. 

Many individuals have food allergies that are so severe they trigger a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis if the allergen is consumed. During this state, chemicals flood the body and trigger a shock response, as well as dangerously low blood pressure and difficulty breathing. It is an emergency situation that must be treated immediately. In this case, Matt was hospitalized, according to a news release about his suit. 

This type of incident is a constant threat for both the victims and those working in the restaurant industry because often the allergies or so severe, even very small traces of it left on utensils or other paraphernalia, can trigger a life-threatening response, as the man in this situation alleges. 

Earlier this summer, a young girl had a dangerous allergic reaction at another restaurant, Panera, when her parents claim she was given peanut butter even after being assured her meal contained no traces of it by the restaurant staff.