The husband of a doctor who passed away shortly after dining at a Disney World restaurant in Florida filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company last week. He alleges negligence regarding the establishment’s food allergy precautions.
Jeffery Piccolo seeks over $50,000 in damages related to the death of his wife Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, who worked at a renowned hospital in New York City. He filed the lawsuit Thursday.
According to filings, the physician suffered a fatal reaction from dairy and nuts consumed at Disney Spring’s Raglan Road Irish Pub in October.
Tangshan had notified staff of her request for an “allergen-free food,” according to the lawsuit. The couple reportedly questioned food preparations multiple times, receiving reassurances about the dishes’ suitability for restricted diets. Suspiciously, some arrived without “allergen free flags.”
Despite the confirmation of safety, Tangsuan began struggling to breathe and lost consciousness soon after eating. The lawsuit said that she passed out after self-administering an EpiPen for the allergic reaction.
She died at the hospital, according to the lawsuit, and the medical examiner named anaphylaxis as the cause of death.
The 19-page lawsuit alleges Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, along with Raglan Road operators, negligently failed to mandate adequate allergy protocols and kitchen training.
Disney has remained silent on the ongoing lawsuit.
However the legal debate proceeds, the aftershocks for Dr. Tangsuan’s friends and family persist.
By highlighting systemic remedies to equip staff protecting vulnerable visitors, the lawsuit honors Tangsuan’s memory as much as seeking accountability for her death. For amid grief, lasting change emerges as the only path forward.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.