A doctor from New York University died shortly after dining at a Disney restaurant in Florida, and her grieving husband is blaming the negligent staff, as per a lawsuit. Kanokporn Tangsuan, a doctor at the prestigious NYU Langone hospital in Manhattan, died unexpectedly after dining at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant in Disney Springs on October 5.
Jeffery Piccolo, the doctor's husband, has alleged that the restaurant staff ignored her nut allergy and served her contaminated food, resulting in her death. Piccolo has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Florida, alleging Walt Disney Parks and Resorts of being negligent and failing to adequately train its staff regarding food allergies.
Allergy Kills Doctor
Piccolo is seeking a compensation of over $50,000 from Disney for mental pain and suffering, funeral expenses, medical costs, and loss of income. Piccolo explained that his wife had severe allergies to dairy and nuts, and they opted to dine at the pub with the expectation that Disney would have sufficient safeguards in place.
According to the lawsuit, despite Kanokporn Tangsuan's repeated inquiries, the staff at the pub assured her that they could prepare allergen-free food. "The waiter unequivocally assured them that the food would be allergen free," the lawsuit read.
Tangsuan proceeded to order broccoli and corn fritters, scallops, and onion rings.
As per the information on the pub's website menu, 'Sure I'm Frittered' is listed as a broccoli and corn fritter, priced at $15.
As per the pub's menu details, 'Scallop Forest' is a dish featuring battered sea scallops served with a citrus lime dipping sauce and sweet chili jam, priced at $29. 'The Shepherd Went Vegan' consists of faro barley, carrots, wild mushrooms, green onion, peas, and rutabaga topped with olive oil mashed potato and burnt onion gravy, with a cost of $25.50. Additionally, a side of onion rings can be ordered separately for $11.
The bottom of the menu available online mentions, "Cross-contamination may occur and thus we CAN NOT GUARANTEE that any dish we prepare will be completely free of gluten/allergens."
Sudden Death
After dinner, Tangsuan left the restaurant to explore the shopping complex but started feeling unwell. She entered Planet Hollywood, where she experienced severe difficulty breathing and eventually collapsed.
Despite the immediate administration of an epi-pen, she tragically died at a local hospital, as outlined in the lawsuit.
According to court documents, the medical examiner's investigation determined that Tangsuan's cause of death was anaphylaxis due to "elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system."
The legal papers claim that Disney advertises and claims to the public that addressing food allergies and accommodating people with food allergies is a "top priority" at its parks and resorts.
The lawsuit alleged that Disney "failed to educate, train and/or instruct its employees" to "make sure food indicated as allergen free or requested to be made allergen free, was in fact free of allergens."
It also says Disney had "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."
