A Texas woman with a purported life-threatening tree nut allergy is suing American Airlines after she “narrowly survived” a light snack aboard a transatlantic flight last fall, according to a federal lawsuit obtained by The Independent.
Heather Wing says in her complaint that flight attendants twice tried to serve her items containing nuts, “despite multiple warnings” she was deathly allergic. Wing, 48, eventually accepted a plate of chicken-and-vegetable gyoza that had no allergen warning on the menu and that she was assured was nut-free.
However, the complaint alleges, the dipping sauce wasn’t – something Wing discovered only after she began to go into anaphylactic shock.
Wing’s husband Brent, an Army veteran who now runs an environmental nonprofit for service members transitioning back into civilian life, “directly witnessed Heather’s life-threatening anaphylaxis,” according to the complaint. In addition to Wing’s acute physical symptoms, Brent “experienced extreme emotional distress and continues to suffer mental anguish as a direct result of witnessing his wife’s near-death experience.”
The couple were on their way back to the U.S. from Paris, where they had gone to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, Wing told The Independent.
“When I hit the flight attendant button, no one came to help me for what seemed like four or five minutes, and my throat was swelling shut,” Wing said. “I couldn’t reach my handbag, as I was running out of breath, and my EpiPen was in my handbag.”
She described the experience as “the most terrifying allergic reaction I had ever had.”
Brent, who was in the next seat over, remembers feeling helpless as he watched Wing’s face turn blue.
“I never thought I was going to ever lose her more than I did that day,” he said.
Severe food allergies are generally considered disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Wing’s complaint accuses American of not only violating the ADA by failing to accommodate her disability, it also says the carrier “subjected Heather to unsafe conditions in violation of the Air Carrier Access Act,” a 1986 law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel.
American Airlines did not respond on Friday to a request for comment.
On August 26, 2025, Wing and her husband flew from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport to London Heathrow Airport for a connection home to Dallas-Fort Worth, according to their complaint, which lists them both as co-plaintiffs.
Wing has “a medically documented, life-threatening tree nut allergy, constituting a disability under federal law because it substantially limits major life activities including breathing and eating,” the complaint states.
“I have been deathly allergic to tree nuts since I was a toddler and have to carry an EpiPen with me at all times,” Wing told The Independent.
Although Wing’s traveler profile notes her allergy, she said the flight attendant brought her a bag of mixed nuts anyway, a detail echoed in the complaint, filed February 6 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Wing refused the nuts, reminding the flight attendant of her allergy, she went on.
Still, a short time later, the same flight attendant brought Wing a mixed salad with walnuts, which she also refused, according to the complaint.
“The last meal of the flight, I asked him if either of the items had any nuts because there was nothing denoting tree nuts on the menu,” Wing told The Independent. “He said I was going to be fine with the dumplings.”
Yet, the complaint alleges, “The dumplings contained ground tree nuts in the sauce. Heather consumed them, triggering a severe anaphylactic reaction.”
Wing “activated her seat call button to request immediate assistance,” the complaint continues. “Flight attendants failed to respond in a timely manner. Brent frantically attempted to summon help as Heather’s condition worsened. His distress was heightened by the crew’s lack of urgency.”
In the meantime, Wing was able to get to her EpiPen, but said “it was not enough to help,” and that her Benadryl was in her carry-on, which the airline had forced her to check. One of the cabin crew members finally got on the PA and asked if there was a doctor onboard.
“Ultimately, fellow passengers – a retired physician and a current physician – intervened,” the complaint states. “They provided emergency care and administered Benadryl from their personal supplies.”
Last September, the Wings – who say their luggage was lost for nearly a week, on top of everything else – served American with a demand letter to make up for its “catastrophic mishandling of their anniversary trip,” according to the complaint. It says they asked to be reimbursed for their costs and $50,000 cash, which the carrier allegedly countered with an offer of 30,000 miles for their delayed bags and a $775.59 refund.
When the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement, the Wings filed suit – initially on their own, but the pair have since retained an attorney.
The complaint against American contends the airline demonstrated a “pattern of negligence and egregious errors,” and that the pair were owed “a duty of care… to provide safe service and respond to foreseeable medical emergencies.”
Heather Wing, according to the complaint, “suffered physical injury, emotional trauma, and ongoing medical complications.”
It says Brent, who suffered a stroke in 2023, remains extremely shaken by the experience and has been deprived of the “companionship, support, and intimacy of his spouse.”
The two are now seeking compensatory damages for past and future medical expenses, emotional distress, and loss of consortium; punitive and exemplary damages; and an injunction requiring American Airlines to implement allergen training and better menu labeling; plus pre- and post-judgment interest, as well as court costs and lawyers; and their fees.
