Disney has released a new statement following recent reports of their seeking to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit regarding a woman who passed away due to anaphylaxis after a meal at Disney Springs.
Disney Issues New Statement on Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Disney stated late Wednesday night that it is “deeply saddened” by the loss of Kanokporn Tangsuan, who was a doctor at NYU Langone in New York City, but “stressed the [Raglan Road] Irish Pub is neither owned nor operated by the company.” Raglan Road is where Tangsuan had the meal that ultimately caused her allergic reaction.
Tangsuan’s husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, is the plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Tangsuan and her estate.
We are merely defending ourselves against the plaintiff’s attorney’s attempt to include us in their lawsuit against the restaurant.
Disney in an emailed statement to The Hollywood Reporter
Raglan Road did not respond to The Hollywood Reporter’s email request for comment. Great Irish Pubs Florida Inc. is also included in the wrongful death lawsuit.
While Disney does not own Raglan Road, it does own Disney Springs, the shopping and entertainment district where the restaurant is located. Disney leases out space in the district to other companies to operate their businesses. The original lawsuit also notes that Disney “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.”
On the Walt Disney World official website, a disclaimer regarding allergy-friendly requests is included at the bottom of menu pages, including that for Raglan Road’s dinner menu:
Guests must speak to a cast member about their allergy-friendly request. While we take steps to help mitigate cross-contact, we cannot guarantee that any item is completely free of allergens. Our allergy-friendly recipes may use highly refined oils, such as soybean oil, and/or ingredients that are processed in facilities that also process allergens. It is ultimately our Guests’ discretion to make an informed choice based upon their individual dietary needs. For more information about allergy-friendly requests, ask to speak with a Special Diets Trained Cast Member upon arrival at the location.
* Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
Our plant-based menu items are made without animal meat, dairy, eggs and honey.
This news follows the reports of Disney seeking to dismiss the wrongful death lawsuit based on an arbitration waiver included in the terms and conditions for Disney+, as well as purchasing Walt Disney World tickets through the My Disney Resort app. Disney claims Piccolo reportedly agreed to the Disney+ terms in 2019 when he signed up for a one-month trial of the streaming service on his PlayStation console, and in September 2023 when he used the My Disney Experience app to purchase tickets to visit EPCOT. Tangsuan passed away before she and Piccolo could visit the park.
Disney stated in their motion that it is “immaterial” whether or not Piccolo actually reviewed the arbitration waiver in the terms he agreed to.
Attorneys for Piccolo called the motion “absurd” and “surreal,” and have urged the court to not enforce the agreement.
The original incident occurred on October 5, 2023. Tangsuan and Piccolo visited Raglan Road with Piccolo’s mother, Jackie. Tangsuan informed the wait staff at the restaurant of her severe allergy to dairy and nuts and was “unequivocally assured” that the food would be allergen-free.
Tangsuan ordered vegetarian broccoli and corn fritters, a sea scallops appetizer, a vegan entree, and a side of onion rings. Piccolo returned to their hotel room after the meal, but Tangsuan and her mother-in-law remained at Disney Springs. Later that evening, Tangsuan suffered an acute allergic reaction in Planet Hollywood, where she had difficulty breathing and collapsed to the floor. She self-administered an EpiPen and was transported to a local hospital soon after, where she later died.
A hearing has been scheduled on Disney’s latest motion in the wrongful death lawsuit for October 2 in Orlando, Florida. Piccolo seeks more than $50,000 in damages under the Florida Wrongful Death Act.
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