Disney Parks Sued After Woman Allegedly Dies From Eating A Meal

A woman died after she consumed a meal at a restaurant located on Walt Disney World property in Orlando, Florida.

Kanokporn Tangsuan, a doctor at NYU Langone in New York City, visited Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, located in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World with her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, and her mother-in-law, Jackie.

The doctor, who had severe allergies to dairy and nuts, reportedly informed the waiter of the allergy and the two went over the menu to see which items were safe for her to consume.

During the dining experience, the waiter left the table to double-check with the chef whether certain items could be made allergen-free, who confirmed this to be true.

Tangsuan and Piccolo both questioned the waiter several more times to make sure the items they were interested in ordering would be safe for Tangsuan to consume, to which the waiter “unequivocally assured” them the food would be allergen-free, per WDWNT.

After an in-depth conversation between the family and the waiter, Tangsuan ordered the “Sure I’m Frittered” dish, which consists of vegetarian broccoli and corn fritters, as well as the “Scallop Forest” sea scallops appetizer, “This Shepherd Went Vegan” entree, and a side of onion rings.

After consuming the meal, Tangsuan and her mother-in-law decided to continue exploring Disney Springs and do some shopping while Tangsuan's husband headed back to the hotel.

Approximately 30 minutes after completing their meal at Raglan Road, just as they were entering Planet Hollywood, Tangsuan suffered from an acute allergic reaction. According to the lawsuit filed by her family, she had difficulty breathing and collapsed on the floor, where she then self-administered an EpiPen.

A call to 911 was placed approximately one minute later, to which Tangsuan was then transported to a local hospital.

The Piccolos then rushed to the hospital to be with Tangsuan, who later passed away. The cause of death was anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nuts in her system.

Following the death of his wife, Jeffrey Piccolo filed a lawsuit against Great Irish Pubs Florida Inc., the company that owns Raglan Road, and Disney Parks and Resorts.

Per the lawsuit, Raglan Road and Disney “owed a duty of care to its invitees/guests to ensure that food that was designated as allergen-free and/or food that was requested to be prepared allergen free, was in fact free from allergens that would cause death or serious physical harm to guests with food allergies."

The suit also claims that Raglan Road "failed to educate, train, or instruct its employees on how to prepare food in response to allergy requests."

Disney does not own or operate Raglan Road, however, they are still listed in the lawsuit as Jeffrey Piccolo claims they “had control and/or right of control over the menu of food offered, the hiring and/or training of the wait staff, and the policies and procedures as it pertains to food allergies at Disney Springs restaurants, such as Raglan Road."

The lawsuit adds that Disney “advertises and represents to the public that food allergies and/or the accommodation of persons with food allergies is a top priority at its parks and resorts, including Disney Springs," meaning that they should have been more careful and had informed the employees of how to properly handle allergies.

Piccolo is seeking $50,000 in damages under the Florida Wrongful Death Act. The lawsuit also lists mental pain and suffering, funeral expenses, medical expenses, and loss of income, among other damages.