Disney World has claimed that a man whose wife died at the theme park cannot sue because of the terms and conditions he agreed to for a free trial of its TV service.
Jeffrey Piccolo filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the entertainment giant after his wife suffered a severe allergic reaction while eating at one of the Walt Disney World Resort’s restaurants in Orlando, Florida, last year.
Mr Piccolo, a New York University doctor, alleges the restaurant did not take sufficient precautions over his wife’s dairy and nut allergies, which he claims to have told staff about several times.
Dr Kanokporn Tangsuan, Mr Piccolo’s wife, died in hospital hours after their meal at the Raglan Road Irish Pub on October 5, 2023.
According to the legal complaint, the couple chose the restaurant because Disney had said it treated accommodating patrons with food allergies as a priority.
They questioned a waiter several times to ensure that Dr Tangsuan’s food did not contain allergens, and were assured “unequivocally” that this was the case.
Roughly 45 minutes after finishing their meal, Dr Tangsuan suffered a severe allergic reaction while shopping with her mother-in-law and collapsed. She was brought to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A medical examiner confirmed her death was “as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system”.