ORLANDO, FL – A Manhattan-based doctor lost her life unexpectedly after dining at a restaurant within a Florida Disney property. The grieving spouse is attributing negligence on behalf of the staff as the cause, which was revealed in a recent lawsuit.
Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, employed at Manhattan’s celebrated NYU Langone hospital, died subsequent to enjoying a meal at Disney Springs’ Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant on Oct. 5.
Tangsuan’s companion, Jeffrey Piccolo, has initiated a lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in the Orange County, FL, circuit court, alleging inadequate prevention of the allergic reaction that caused Tangsuan’s demise.
According to the lawsuit, Tangsuan voiced her nut and dairy allergies to the restaurant staff multiple times, who convinced her that they could cater to her dietary needs. Tangsuan then decided to order safe-looking dishes such as broccoli, corn fritter, onion rings, and scallops.
However, Tangsuan started showing severe symptoms moments after leaving the restaurant, culminating in her collapsing inside the Planet Hollywood store. Attempts to revive her using an epi-pen were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the local hospital, as detailed in the lawsuit.
Her autopsy disclosed the cause of death as ‘anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system,’ prompting the lawsuit to accuse Disney of falling short in training staff adequately to ensure that food explicitly made free of allergens remained uncontaminated, despite the company publicly emphasizing the importance of accommodating guests with food allergies.
Piccolo’s lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $50,000 concerning Florida’s wrongful death act, including losses related to distress, lost income, and funeral costs.
Disney has yet to remark on the lawsuit’s claims.