US: Vietnamese female manager tragically dies, family sues restaurant

The Independent (UK) reported that Ms. Nguyet Le's family is suing Arby's and the company that owns this franchise location in Louisiana, USA. The lawsuit, which asks for $1 million in compensation, was filed last week.

According to the lawsuit, Ms. Nguyet Le, 63 years old, was a temporary manager at an Arby's restaurant in New Iberia, Louisiana. The person who discovered Ms. Nguyet Le's body was the victim's son, who was also an employee at the restaurant.

Ms. Nguyet Le's family said she was trapped in the cold storage of Arby's restaurant on the morning of May 11 (local time).

Ms. Nguyet Le is Vietnamese American. Photo: TMZ

The lawsuit says the latch on the cold storage unit “had been broken since last August,” but Arby’s management “refused to repair the problem despite knowing about it.” Restaurant employees allegedly “opened the cold storage unit using a screwdriver and a can of oil.”

Meanwhile, the cold storage was “kept at a minimum of -10 degrees Celsius according to company regulations”. Police found blood stains inside the door, indicating that Ms. Nguyet Le was desperate to escape and panicked. The victim appeared to have banged on the door with her hands until blood was splattered to call for help from outside.

The woman eventually lay face down on the frozen floor and died of hypothermia.

"I think once you see the police report, you'll see how horrible this is... There was blood all over the front door...", Nguyet Le's family attorney, Paul Skrabanek, told KLFY.

"We are aware of the tragic incident that occurred at our franchise location in New Iberia, Louisiana. The franchisee is cooperating with local authorities as they conduct their investigation. We have no further comment," an Arby's representative said in a statement.

Pham Nghia

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/my-nu-quan-ly-goc-viet-chet-tham-gia-dinh-kien-nha-hang-20230602143925196.htm