Family Claims Doctor’s Death Linked to Disney World Restaurant, Files Lawsuit

According to a new lawsuit filed in the Ninth Circuit for Orange County, a 42-year-old doctor from New York died after she suffered an allergic reaction to the food she was served at Ragland Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Disney Springs. Her husband filed the lawsuit on her behalf late last week.

According to the court filing, Kanokporn Tangsuan, a doctor at NYU Langone in New York, traveled to Disney World with her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, and her mother-in-law, Jackie Piccolo. The three of them went to dinner at the Ragland Road Irish Pub.

When the waiter approached the table, both Tangsuan and her husband asked the waiter about food preparation and if the restaurant could accommodate her. She has a food allergy to dairy and nuts. 

The filing said: 

KANOKPORN TANGSUAN’s waiter went to ask the chef whether certain foods could be made allergen free and then he returned to KANOKPORN TANGSUAN’s table and confirmed that they could. He also guaranteed KANOKPORN TANGSUAN and JEFFREY PICCOLO that RAGLAN ROAD would prepare allergen free food for KANOKPORN TANGSUAN. 24. To be absolutely sure that allergen free food would be served, KANOKPORN TANGSUAN and JEFFREY PICCOLO questioned the waiter several more times to confirm the food KANOKPORN TANGSUAN was ordering was allergen free. The waiter unequivocally assured them that the food would be allergen free.

After receiving assurances from their waiter, the group proceeded to order dinner from the Disney restaurant. Tangsuan ordered vegan shepherd’s pie, onion rings, corn fritters, and scallops, but the lawsuit noted that none of the plates had food labels that would have made the servers aware of the allergens at the table.

After eating, Tangsuan and her mother-in-law went shopping at Disney Springs while her husband returned to the hotel. Less than an hour later, the pair separated, and Tangsuan went to Planet Hollywood. It was there that she suffered a “severe acute allergic reaction from the food served at Raglan Road.”

Tangsaun was able to administer herself epinephrine, but she was still having a severe reaction, and cast members called 911. When emergency services arrived, they were able to get her to the hospital; however, she was pronounced dead when she arrived.

According to the lawsuit:

The medical examiner’s investigation determined that KANOKPORN TANGSUAN’s cause of death was as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.

The family seeks damages “in excess of $50,000.00 plus costs, post-judgment interest, and further demands trial by jury on all issues so triable.”

On its website, Walt Disney World says that it will accommodate any food allergy and that guests should speak directly to cast members to inform them of any allergies. The Disney World’s Website says:

Once you are at the restaurant, tell a Cast Member about your special dietary or allergy-friendly requests—even if you previously indicated it during the reservation process. You can do this when you check in at the podium or via the My Disney Experience app. This will help ensure our special diets processes can be followed when preparing your meal. While table-service restaurants will try to accommodate special dietary requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be able to meet all requests.

• Ask to see an allergy-friendly menu, which may assist you in finding a meal. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, or if you simply have a question about a menu item or our process, Guests always have the opportunity to consult with a chef or special diets-trained Cast Member. Just ask any Cast Member at the location and they will find someone to assist you.

• When placing your order, always tell your server if you have a special dietary request. Be sure to do this even if you select an allergy-friendly item from the restaurant’s standard menu.

The medical examiner ruled the death an accident. No trial date has been set.

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