Family of Las Vegas actress gets $29.5M compensation after she suffers brain damage from eating pretzel infused with peanut butter
$29.5M for the family of actress Chantel Giacalone, who suffered brain damage after eating a pretzel.
- The family of the Las Vegas actress Chantel Giacalone, who suffered brain damage after a severe allergic reaction, received $29.5 million in compensation.
- In 2013, the actress had an allergic reaction after biting off a pretzel infused with peanut butter.
- Due to misjudgment in the treatment, as her family claims, she suffered brain damage and is now a quadriplegic, requiring 24/7 care.
In 2013, when Chantel Giacalone was 27, she suffered severe complications after biting off a piece of pretzel that had been infused with peanut butter. Following a horrific allergic reaction, the Las Vegas actress went into anaphylactic shock.
Although medical staff arrived at the scene as soon as possible to treat Giacalone’s condition, her attorney claims they acted with negligence. As per LADbible, lawyer Christian Morris claims the paramedics only administered intramuscular epinephrine when Chantel needed IV epinephrine. With a reaction so severe as hers, she needed the adrenaline treatment directly administered into her veins, not her muscles.
Now, the actress is a quadriplegic, feeds through a tube, and communicates only through her eyes, following the brain damage she suffered after the ordeal. According to Daily Mail, she is under 24-hour care at her parents’ house.
Giacalone’s family launched a lawsuit against the ambulance service that failed to help the actress.
Initially, the family sought up to $60 million in compensation for the medical expenses and the emotional suffering they have all been going through ever since the incident. Before the trial, Chantel’s father, Jack Giacalone, told her:
“Don’t worry, the truth will come out. And we’re going to finally find out what happened to you that day in the room.”
He added:
“She’s still in there. She still has emotions. She’s still crying. But when I get home, I’ll see her, and we’ll straighten everything out.”
Eventually, the trial ended with a $29.5 million settlement.
MedicWest Ambulance, which was running the medic station that day, denied their paramedics did anything wrong. What’s more, they claimed Chantel did not lose consciousness during the incident, adding that her brain damage was inevitable due to her heightened sensitivity to peanuts.
Despite receiving only half of what they initially demanded, the family is happy with the results of the trial. Mr. Giacalone said the money would help his daughter live for around another 20 years. He continued:
“At least my daughter will be taken care of. I’m happy about that. All the anguish that we’ve been through for the last eight years, I’m not happy about. I just hope MedicWest changes their ways.”
