- Kanokporn Tangsuan, a 42-year-old physician from NYU Langone in New York, and her family had dinner at the Raglan Road Irish Pub in Disney Springs
- She died after a fatal allergic reaction
- He is seeking more than $50,000 from Disney for mental pain and suffering, funeral expenses, medical expenses and loss of income
A New York University doctor died after Disney restaurant staff ignored her nut allergy and served her contaminated food, her distraught husband claimed in a new lawsuit.
Kanokporn Tangsuan, a 42-year-old physician from NYU Langone in New York, and her family had dined at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant in Disney Springs on October 5, shortly before she suffered a fatal allergic reaction.
Jeffrey Piccolo, the doctor’s husband, filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts was negligent and failed to properly inform their staff about food allergies.
He is seeking more than $50,000 from Disney for mental pain and suffering, funeral expenses, medical expenses and loss of income.
Piccolo said his wife was highly allergic to dairy and nuts and the couple chose to eat at the pub because they believed Disney would have proper safety measures in place.
Kanokporn Tangsuan (pictured), a doctor from NYU Langone in New York, died of an allergic reaction after eating at a Disney Springs restaurant
Tangsuan and her family had dined at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant (pictured) in Disney Springs on October 5, shortly before she suffered a fatal allergic reaction
Jeffrey Piccolo (left), the doctor’s husband, filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts was negligent and failed to properly inform their staff about food allergies
The couple repeatedly asked their waiter about allergen-free food, and they said the waiter even went to confirm with the chef.
“The waiter unequivocally assured them that the food would be allergen-free,” the lawsuit said.
Tangsuan ordered the following menu items: ‘Of Course I’m Frittered,’ ‘Scallop Forest,’ ‘The Shepherd Went Vegan,’ and ‘Onion Rings.’
According to the menu available on the pub’s website, ‘Sure I’m Frittered’ is a broccoli and corn fritter that costs $15.
‘Scallop Forest’ is a dish of battered scallops served with a citrus-lime dipping sauce and sweet chili jam that costs $29. ‘The Shepherd Went Vegan’ features faro barley, carrots, wild mushrooms, green onions, peas and swede, topped with olive oil mashed potatoes and a burnt onion gravy that costs $25.50 and a portion of onion rings costs $11.
At the bottom of the menu available online it states: ‘Cross contamination may occur and therefore we CANNOT GUARANTEE that every dish we prepare is completely free of gluten/allergens.’
Tangsuan ordered the following menu items: ‘Sure I’m Frittered’, ‘Scallop Forest’, ‘The Shepherd Went Vegan’ and ‘Onion Rings’
The couple repeatedly asked their waiter about allergen-free food, and they said the waiter even went to confirm with the chef
According to the lawsuit, the family ate their meal around 8 p.m. and around 8:45 p.m., Tangsuan entered Planet Hollywood while suffering from an acute allergic reaction.
She had severe breathing difficulties and fell to the ground. 911 was called and the caller said Tangsuan had self-administered an epi-pen.
Piccolo and his mother Jackie had tried to call Tangsuan to meet her, but someone answered her phone and told them she had been taken to hospital.
She died in the hospital and the medical examiner’s examination determined that the cause of death was due to anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nuts in her system.
The lawsuit stated that Disney had properly trained its employees on food allergies, and that the employees had failed to properly warn Tangsuam about allergens in its food.
