Family of dancer who died after eating cookie files lawsuit against Stew Leonard's, cookie manufacturer

The family of a woman who died from an allergic reaction after eating cookies sold by Stew Leonard's filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Connecticut Superior Court Thursday.

The parents of Orla Baxendale filed the suit against Stew Leonard's and 11 of its employees, along with Cookies United, the Long Island bakery that manufactured the cookies.

Baxendale, 25, died in January after she ate Florentine Cookies at a social gathering.

As News 12 reported, the Florentine Cookies were sold at the Stew Leonard's in Danbury and Newington.

The cookies contained peanuts, but were not listed on the label.

The grocery store claimed Cookies United did not inform them of a change in ingredients. However the company says they sent an email to 11 Stews employees about the change last summer, months before the cookies were sold.

The cookies were later recalled by The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection because they also contained undeclared eggs.

Director of Public Relations Meghan Bell provided the following comment to News 12:

I'm sorry, but on the advice of our legal counsel, we can't comment on pending litigation.