It is just mind-boggling to see how so many restaurants out there treat actual allergy problems like they’re nothing and the customer will be fine. But that’s not always the case, and this can very well result in a fatality, the same thing we saw in the Kanokporn Tangsuan Lawsuit. Yup, a person actually passed away after eating at a restaurant and specifically telling them not to use specific ingredients, but the restaurant staff went on with it, and now Kanokporn Tangsuan is no more.
What Happened with Kanokporn Tangsuan?
She was a medical doctor from Long Island, New York, who was employed at NYU Langone Health. On the 5th of October, 2023, she was with her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, at Disney World. They went to Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, which is at Disney Springs, for dinner.
Now the sad part: Tangsuan was allergic to dairy and nuts, and the reaction could have been fatal. She really went on telling the restaurant staff about her allergies. The waiter went so far as to reassure her that the food would be safe and without those allergens. But was it, though?
The Tragic Incident
Everything was not as expected. No allergen-free flags were attached to the food, so the Tangsuan family could easily identify what they could eat safely. The family inquired again whether the food was safe, and the staff assured them that it was.
After eating, Tangsuan took a walk outside the restaurant and went shopping at a store nearby. She suddenly experienced breathlessness, fell to the ground, attempted to use her EpiPen, and a man called 911. Unfortunately, she died at the hospital from anaphylaxis, a very severe allergic reaction.
The toxicology report later confirmed that there was milk and nuts in her body that were the two allergens she had struggled to avoid.
The Wrongful Death Lawsuit
It is already February 2024. The husband of the deceased, Jeffrey Piccolo decided to go beyond words and take legal action. He is accusing Disney Parks and Raglan Road of negligence, resulting in the death of his wife. What he really means is that they failed to properly manage her allergies, and that is why he is now seeking over $50,000 of damages.
Disney’s Defense and the Arbitration Drama
The story just gets crazier from here. Disney actually made an attempt to have the suit dismissed from the court. They went on to say that Piccolo must have agreed to the Disney+ free trial in 2019 and that according to the terms of service there, it says you cannot sue Disney in a court of law. Rather, you have to go through what is called an arbitration, which is like a private mini-trial. Insane, right?
Piccolo’s legal team responded, “Wait a minute, that must be a joke!” They described it as an unfair and completely inappropriate move. Seriously, who would have thought that a streaming service deal would be the reason you can’t take such a grave matter to the court?
So, February 2025 is a different story. I guess after some time thinking about it, Disney decided to take another stance. They went public with the decision to end the arbitration and take the lawsuit further by a judge.
Digging into the Evidence
As the case moves towards trial, Piccolo’s attorneys have already started their work. They request the court to compel Raglan Road to provide them with the complete recipes and ingredient lists of the meal Tangsuan ate that evening. For what purpose? To find out if the food contained milk or nuts. This is the point of the lawsuit that matters most.
Moreover, here is a surprise: Raglan Road, located at Disney Springs, is not owned by Disney. Therefore, this incident has led to the question of who is accountable.
