A doctor died shortly after she was served a meal that was not allergen-free at a Disney Springs restaurant, according to a lawsuit filed in Orange County and obtained by FOX 35 Orlando.
Disney and the Disney Springs Raglan Road restaurant believe a lawsuit following the death of a New York doctor from an allergic reaction should be dismissed because her widower signed up for a Disney+ account years earlier, court documents show.
The response was filed on May 31. A supplemental filing on the same day said plaintiff Jeffrey Piccolo used a MyDisney account to purchase tickets to EPCOT that were not used after his wife’s death and was reimbursed. Disney claims that the terms agreed to by Disney+ and MyDisney give up its “right to litigate a dispute before a judge or jury in court,” suggesting that the arbitration should be conducted by a mediator.
Piccolo’s lawyers called Disney’s response “absurd” and “completely false” in an Aug. 2 court document. They also argue that Piccolo’s wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of his wife’s estate, not his own.
Piccolo’s lawsuit, filed in February in a Florida court, says Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan died in early October of an allergic reaction after eating at the Irish restaurant on the Disney World property. The lawsuit says negligence on the part of Disney and the restaurant led to her death.
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Raglan Road in Disney Springs, where Jeffrey Piccolo and Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan had dinner before the fatal allergic reaction. (Walt Disney World via FOX 35 Orlando / Fox News)
Piccolo asks the court to award him damages “in excess of” $50,000 from the entertainment giant and the restaurant, according to the complaint, which says he has suffered emotional pain and suffering, loss of companionship and other damages since his wife’s death.
While at the restaurant, the couple told their waiter about Tangsuan’s severe milk and nut allergies and asked multiple times for assurances that the food she would receive would not contain those ingredients, according to the lawsuit. But she got Doughnuts, scallops, vegan shepherd’s pie and onion ringsthat staff said were free of dairy and nuts, although some of them were not labeled allergen-free, the lawsuit says.
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Disney Springs is a shopping and entertainment district in Walt Disney World. (Walt Disney World via FOX 35 Orlando / Fox News)
Tangsuan’s fatal allergic reaction occurred while she was browsing stores on Raglan Road shortly after the family’s dinner, the lawsuit says. She was 42, according to an obituary.
FOX Business has reported to Disney asked for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Raglan Road has been operating at Disney Springs since 2005. It is known for offering Irish cuisine as well as “live music and dancing from Ireland,” according to the Disney Springs website.
FOX Business’ Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.
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