Wrongful Death Lawsuit Alleges Aramark Employees Ignored Dying American in Chinese Hospital
A federal lawsuit claims Philadelphia-based Aramark employees failed to assist a 37-year-old American man during a 15-hour medical emergency at a Chinese hospital, raising serious questions about corporate oversight of international service contracts.
A federal wrongful-death lawsuit alleges that employees of Philadelphia-based Aramark ignored a 37-year-old American citizen during a medical emergency at a Chinese hospital for more than 15 hours, resulting in his preventable death. The complaint filed by Friedman Schuman Layser PC attorneys Brett J. Kaminsky and Katherine Lekh claims systemic neglect originating from Aramark's Philadelphia headquarters led to inadequate staffing, training, and oversight at Gulou Hospital in Nanjing.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, states that at least 10 Aramark employees saw Zachary Graff in clear medical distress on May 7, 2023, but none alerted medical personnel. According to court documents, Graff had visited a clinic inside the hospital to fill a prescription for chronic knee pain. After taking medication around 10:30 a.m., he began staggering through the facility and sat in a chair near an escalator on the fourth floor, where he remained unresponsive and breathing abnormally for hours.
Security footage reviewed by the family shows Aramark employees walking past Graff repeatedly, cleaning around him, and attempting to engage him without seeking medical help. One security guard allegedly told him to stop sleeping on three separate occasions, while another employee picked up his phone charger that had fallen to the floor. The complaint further alleges that the floor was later locked and the lights turned off with Graff still inside the facility.
When Graff's wife arrived around 11 p.m. after being unable to reach him for hours, Aramark security initially refused her entry. Only after involving police and reviewing surveillance footage was she granted access. She found her husband unconscious and barely alive at approximately 2:15 a.m. Despite her pleas, Aramark security guards delayed calling for medical assistance until after her discovery. Medical personnel arrived at 2:28 a.m. but were unable to resuscitate Graff, who was pronounced dead at 2:48 a.m.
The case, Baehmann v. Aramark Corp. et al., No. 2:25-cv-02758, names Philadelphia-based Aramark Corporation and multiple subsidiaries. The complaint alleges negligent hiring, training, supervision, and retention by the company and seeks compensatory damages and a jury trial. Originally filed in Pennsylvania state court, Aramark removed the case to federal court on May 29, 2025. The lawsuit highlights significant concerns about corporate responsibility in international service contracts and the potential consequences of inadequate oversight in healthcare facility management.