Disney Drops Plan to Block Lawsuit Over Food Allergy Death
- Disney faced criticism for attempting to prevent a lawsuit over a food allergy death.
- The man whose wife died at Disney World waived his right to sue according to Disney+ agreement.
- Disney retracts their plan following backlash from the public.
Disney has withdrawn its request to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit out of court, allowing the case of Kanokporn Tangsuan, who died from a severe allergic reaction at a Disney World restaurant, to proceed to trial. Tangsuan, a family medicine specialist from Long Island, had a known allergy to nuts and dairy, which led to her tragic death after dining at Raglan Road, an Irish pub located in Disney Springs. The lawsuit, filed by Tangsuan's husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, has drawn significant attention following Disney's controversial claim that Piccolo waived his right to sue by signing up for a free trial of Disney+. This assertion sparked backlash, as many viewed it as an attempt to evade responsibility for the incident. Disney further contended that Raglan Road is independently owned and operated, distancing itself from the events that transpired. Piccolo is seeking damages exceeding $50,000, the minimum threshold for filing in Florida circuit court, with the potential for a jury to award significantly higher punitive damages. Despite Disney's insistence that its role was merely that of a landlord, a company representative acknowledged that pursuing arbitration would prolong an already distressing process for Piccolo. The scheduled hearing to move the case to arbitration, originally set for October 2, was canceled, allowing the case to move forward in the judicial system. The outcome of this lawsuit could have implications for Disney's liability in similar incidents in the future.