Current Events > Family suing University when daughter dies after pancake eating contest

(+) Yeah! (+)

The grieving family of a 20-year-old woman who choked to death during a pancake-eating contest filed a lawsuit against the Connecticut university she was attending in hopes of raising awareness of the preventable dangers associated with amateur eating competitions.

Caitlin Nelson, who was participating in Sacred Heart Universitys Greek Week celebration on March 30, 2017, reportedly began to shake uncontrollably and fell to the floor after eating multiple pancakes in a short period of time.

Two nursing students who were in attendance at the school-sanctioned charity event attempted lifesaving measures before police and paramedics arrived, Fairfield Police Lt. Bob Kalamaras said at the time. The familys lawsuit claims responding officers found a mass of pancake paste like concrete in Nelsons airway.

Nelson, of Clark, N.J., was rushed to St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport, and later transferred to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York, where she died. Kalamaras described the incident as a tragic event that started out as something fun.

Caitlins family is bringing this case to expose the dangers associated with amateur eating contests and to help prevent other families from having to endure this kind of preventable tragedy, Katie Mesner-Hage, of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, which represents the family, said in a statement. These contests are significantly more dangerous than people realize and its critically important for the public especially educational institutions, to understand that certain foods are safer than others and a modicum of forethought can literally save lives.

The family, who had tragically lost Caitlin Nelsons dad, a Port Authority officer, in the Sept. 11 terror attacks, donated the aspiring social workers organs after her death.

https://www.foxnews.com/health/family-sues-over-students-pancake-eating-contest-death
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Isn't it embarrassing to die from this kind of stuff? I wonder if other people make fun of you in the afterlife.
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Aren't there always a disclaimer and a waiver you have to sign to participate?
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C_Pain posted...

Isn't it embarrassing to die from this kind of stuff? I wonder if other people make fun of you in the afterlife.

1 in 4000 people die from choking every year so its not super uncommon
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Eating contests should be banned.
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Yea I feel like if youre going to have a mass contest like this, where potential life threatening problems could arise, its the universities responsibility to have a full medical team at hand just in case...not a few nursing students who just happened to be there. People like Matt Stonie and them train constantly to participate in these contests the right way and even they get medical people on hand. Accidents happen, especially when the participants have no idea what theyre doing.
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At least she wasn't allergic or whatever like the last person.
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The gene pool just became slightly more resilient to pancakes.
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This is in no way the unis fault
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XxKrazyChaosxX posted...

The familys lawsuit claims responding officers found a mass of pancake paste like concrete in Nelsons airway.

Were they not cooked properly? What's going on with their pancake mix where anyone can claim it resembles concrete?
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always rubs me really badly whenever people try to profit off of a family member(s) dying

hopefully they donate the money or something
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Seems like a tragedy not a lawsuit
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A_Good_Boy posted...

XxKrazyChaosxX posted...

The familys lawsuit claims responding officers found a mass of pancake paste like concrete in Nelsons airway.

Were they not cooked properly? What's going on with their pancake mix where anyone can claim it resembles concrete?

Have you ever squeezed a slice of bread in your palm until it becomes a hard little ball? I imagine it's something like that. Bready stuff such as pancakes is not well suited for eating contests. Someone trying to swallow a bunch at once is just going to press them into a dense mass
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holy shit. that sounds horrifying. i don't even know if she would have survived if she did this in the lobby at mayo clinic
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eston posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

XxKrazyChaosxX posted...

The familys lawsuit claims responding officers found a mass of pancake paste like concrete in Nelsons airway.

Were they not cooked properly? What's going on with their pancake mix where anyone can claim it resembles concrete?

Have you ever squeezed a slice of bread in your palm until it becomes a hard little ball? I imagine it's something like that. Bready stuff such as pancakes is not well suited for eating contests. Someone trying to swallow a bunch at once is just going to press them into a dense mass

But don't hotdog contests involve eating buns too?
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Actually, the university could be held liable for it. This isn't the first time someone died because of an eating contest. Here's an example:

https://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/04/voodoo-doughnut-suspends-eating-challenge-after-death/

- They held the contest, knowing the dangers involved.
- They didn't have medical staff present in case there was an emergency.

The university is going to settle. They are going to lose if this goes to court.
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cavalierking posted...

always rubs me really badly whenever people try to profit off of a family member(s) dying

hopefully they donate the money or something

Yeah it always rubs me really badly whenever people assume a lawsuit is about profiting
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A_Good_Boy posted...

But don't hotdog contests involve eating buns too?

Not exclusively buns. If there was a bread-eating contest I would expect a similar outcome
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I mean I get it, it super sucks for people you love to die.

But people eat pancakes without choking all the time. How can you blame the university?
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Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest
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Why didnt they use the heimlich manuver
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Two_Dee posted...

Why didnt they use the heimlich manuver

It says nursing students attempted life saving measures, so they probably did. But those pancakes were really jammed in there.
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Ban the New Day!!!!
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eston posted...

cavalierking posted...

always rubs me really badly whenever people try to profit off of a family member(s) dying

hopefully they donate the money or something

Yeah it always rubs me really badly whenever people assume a lawsuit is about profiting

it is about profiting unless they arent seeking a monetary amount.

the university isnt liable for this if there was any kind of disclaimer or the like tbh
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doesnt say she choked so most likely she had a diabetic shock due to the insulin reaction and just died on the spot, thing is that its completely unnatural to eat so much wheat in that short period of time so her body specifically wasnt built for that.
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fenderbender321 posted...

eston posted...

Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest

Why hold the university accountable rather than the people who voluntarily choose to put themselves at risk?

That's not how anything works.
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Eh just people looking for money. Grievouses aside this was an accident. Not a inciddent
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Awesome posted...

doesnt say she choked so most likely she had a diabetic shock due to the insulin reaction and just died on the spot, thing is that its completely unnatural to eat so much wheat in that short period of time so her body specifically wasnt built for that.

It says she had a mass of pancake in her air passage. Generally, suffocating to death from being unable to breath through food jammed in your air passage is known as choking.
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aw damn i missed that, poor girl =/
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Yeah, terrible way to die. Imagine the panic as you struggle for breath. Yikes.
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ThePrinceFish posted...

Yeah, terrible way to die. Imagine the panic as you struggle for breath. Yikes.

it takes anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes to die from choking on food depending on just how much of your airway is blocked off
your own body betrays you because your throat tightens around the food to keep it out of your lungs but that just makes things worse
its very painful as you try to dislodge the food
once your face turns blue even if you are saved you will have permanent brain damage
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eston posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

XxKrazyChaosxX posted...

The familys lawsuit claims responding officers found a mass of pancake paste like concrete in Nelsons airway.

Were they not cooked properly? What's going on with their pancake mix where anyone can claim it resembles concrete?

Have you ever squeezed a slice of bread in your palm until it becomes a hard little ball? I imagine it's something like that. Bready stuff such as pancakes is not well suited for eating contests. Someone trying to swallow a bunch at once is just going to press them into a dense mass

I couldn't imagine trying to excrete it.
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I think it stupid to participate but also im all for doing anything to ruin eating contests so i hope they sue so hard that they dont do anymore.
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fenderbender321 posted...

eston posted...

Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest

Why hold the university accountable rather than the people who voluntarily choose to put themselves at risk?

This is a really dumb post tbqh
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cavalierking posted...

always rubs me really badly whenever people try to profit off of a family member(s) dying

hopefully they donate the money or something

I could understand if it's something preventable and the death effects the family's income.
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Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
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I'd love to hear their theory on how the university is responsible for bad personal decisions by an adult.
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Eating contests should be left to the professionals.
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A_Good_Boy posted...

fenderbender321 posted...

eston posted...

Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest

Why hold the university accountable rather than the people who voluntarily choose to put themselves at risk?

That's not how anything works.

But it should be. If the university had slack food standards and accidentally chucked rat poison or whatever in the pancakes, I'd say THAT would be 100% fair to hold them responsible. But when the students - adult students at that - choose of their own accord to enter something like this, that's their fault if it goes wrong. They're fucking universities, not babysitters.
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TiamatLover posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

fenderbender321 posted...

eston posted...

Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest

Why hold the university accountable rather than the people who voluntarily choose to put themselves at risk?

That's not how anything works.

But it should be. If the university had slack food standards and accidentally chucked rat poison or whatever in the pancakes, I'd say THAT would be 100% fair to hold them responsible. But when the students - adult students at that - choose of their own accord to enter something like this, that's their fault if it goes wrong. They're fucking universities, not babysitters.

Its still the universitys responsibility to take proper safety precautions. Adult or not. If youre holding this type of event on campus as a school advertised event its their responsibility. Did the school have them sign waivers letting them know this could happen that would absolve them from blame? Nope. But theyre adults! Shouldnt be how laws in this situation work.
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Did she win tho?
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VipaGTS posted...

TiamatLover posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

fenderbender321 posted...

eston posted...

Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest

Why hold the university accountable rather than the people who voluntarily choose to put themselves at risk?

That's not how anything works.

But it should be. If the university had slack food standards and accidentally chucked rat poison or whatever in the pancakes, I'd say THAT would be 100% fair to hold them responsible. But when the students - adult students at that - choose of their own accord to enter something like this, that's their fault if it goes wrong. They're fucking universities, not babysitters.

Its still thenubiversities responsibility to take proper safety precautions. Adult or not. If youre holding this type of event on campus as a school advertised event its their responsibility. Did the school have them sign waivers letting them know this could happen that would absolve them from blame? Nope. But theyre adults! Shouldnt be how laws in this situation work.

Once again, they're not babysitters and the students aren't children.
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yusiko_is_smexy posted...

C_Pain posted...

Isn't it embarrassing to die from this kind of stuff? I wonder if other people make fun of you in the afterlife.

1 in 4000 people die from choking every year so its not super uncommon

This isnt even close to being true @yusiko_is_smexy
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0AbsoluteZero0 posted...

yusiko_is_smexy posted...

C_Pain posted...

Isn't it embarrassing to die from this kind of stuff? I wonder if other people make fun of you in the afterlife.

1 in 4000 people die from choking every year so its not super uncommon

This isnt even close to being true @yusiko_is_smexy

yes it is
i read it on the internet
are you actually trying to believe that i cant believe everything i read on the internet?
thats crazy talk
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TiamatLover posted...

VipaGTS posted...

TiamatLover posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

fenderbender321 posted...

eston posted...

Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest

Why hold the university accountable rather than the people who voluntarily choose to put themselves at risk?

That's not how anything works.

But it should be. If the university had slack food standards and accidentally chucked rat poison or whatever in the pancakes, I'd say THAT would be 100% fair to hold them responsible. But when the students - adult students at that - choose of their own accord to enter something like this, that's their fault if it goes wrong. They're fucking universities, not babysitters.

Its still thenubiversities responsibility to take proper safety precautions. Adult or not. If youre holding this type of event on campus as a school advertised event its their responsibility. Did the school have them sign waivers letting them know this could happen that would absolve them from blame? Nope. But theyre adults! Shouldnt be how laws in this situation work.

Once again, they're not babysitters and the students aren't children.

Ok. Youre still wrong.
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fenderbender321 posted...

VipaGTS posted...

TiamatLover posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

fenderbender321 posted...

eston posted...

Because the University did not take proper safety precautions when holding an eating contest

Why hold the university accountable rather than the people who voluntarily choose to put themselves at risk?

That's not how anything works.

But it should be. If the university had slack food standards and accidentally chucked rat poison or whatever in the pancakes, I'd say THAT would be 100% fair to hold them responsible. But when the students - adult students at that - choose of their own accord to enter something like this, that's their fault if it goes wrong. They're fucking universities, not babysitters.

Its still the universitys responsibility to take proper safety precautions. Adult or not. If youre holding this type of event on campus as a school advertised event its their responsibility. Did the school have them sign waivers letting them know this could happen that would absolve them from blame? Nope. But theyre adults! Shouldnt be how laws in this situation work.

I get that's how things work in this day and age, but is it really the best system? In many ways I would prefer a system where we make adults more accountable for their actions.

For example, let's say I told somebody that I think they should ride their bike off a cliff into the ocean. And they do it. And they die. Do I get in trouble? Hell no. That was their choice. But let's say I post on Facebook "hey I'm organizing an event where we ride our bikes off a cliff. Let me know if you want to sign up." and then people sign up, we go through with the plan, but one of the guys dies. Then do I get in trouble? Maybe not, but why wouldn't I? How is that different than if the University organized the event? And if I would get into trouble...again why? At the end of the day, the person's action of getting on his bike and riding it off the cliff are 100% responsible for their death.

Really gets you to think...

People have built up far too much of an expectation that everyone else is responsible for looking after them, and that they shouldn't have any personal responsibility.
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