Tragedy Strikes Young Dancer After Allergic Reaction
The estate of a young dancer, Órla Ruth Baxendale, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against grocery retailer Stew Leonard’s and wholesaler Cookies United after Baxendale tragically died from an allergic reaction to a mislabeled cookie containing peanuts.
Baxendale’s Life Cut Short
Baxendale, a 25-year-old dancer who had a severe peanut allergy, consumed a Florentine cookie from Stew Leonard’s that was not labeled with peanuts as an ingredient. The lawsuit, filed in Waterbury Superior Court, alleges that this lack of proper labeling resulted in Baxendale suffering a fatal anaphylactic reaction on January 11th.
Baxendale, who had recently moved to New York City from England to pursue her dance career, is described in the lawsuit as being “in the prime of her life.”
Mislabeled Cookies Lead to Recall
The batch of holiday cookies sold at Stew Leonard’s stores in Connecticut late in 2023 were later recalled after the tragic incident. Officials in Connecticut stated that the cookies, produced by Long Island-based Cookies United and branded as Stew Leonard’s, contained peanuts that were not listed on the label.
Lawsuit Targets Multiple Parties
The lawsuit names both Stew Leonard’s and Cookies United, along with several Stew Leonard’s employees, as defendants. The lawsuit claims that the failure to properly label the cookies constitutes “gross negligence, intentional, reckless, callous, indifferent to human life, and a wanton violation” of labeling laws.
Conflicting Statements from Companies Involved
Stew Leonard’s released a statement in January stating that their supplier, Cookies United, switched from soy nuts to peanuts in the recipe without notifying them. Cookies United, however, maintains they informed Stew Leonard’s about the peanut inclusion in July 2023 and that all products shipped to the retailer were labeled accordingly. The lawsuit seems likely to resolve this discrepancy.
