NYU doctor dies after dining at Disney restaurant where waitstaff insisted food was allergen-free: lawsuit
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A doctor from New York University died shortly after she ate at a Disney Springs restaurants in Florida — and her bereaved husband is blaming negligent staffers, according to a lawsuit.
Kanokporn Tangsuan, a doctor at the prestigious NYU Langone hospital in Manhattan, died suddenly after having dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant on Oct. 5.
Her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, has filed a 19-page lawsuit in Orange County, Fla., circuit court, accusing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts of negligence, noting that Tangsuan had made it clear to the waitstaff that she had nut and dairy allergies.
The staff at the pub insisted they were able to make allergen-free food, after Tangsuan checked multiple times, the suit said.
Tangsuan ordered broccoli and corn fritter, scallops and onion rings.
The restaurant is owned and operated by owned and operated by Irish partners John Cooke and Paul Nolan, not by Disney.
After dinner, Tangsuan left the restaurant to explore the shopping complex when she began feeling sick.
She entered Planet Hollywood, where she experienced severe difficulty breathing and collapsed.
Though an epi-pen was immediately administered to her, she ultimately died at a local hospital, the lawsuit said.
According to court papers, the medical examiner’s investigation revealed she died as a result of anaphylaxis due to “elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.”
Court papers claimed that Disney advertises and makes it clear to the public that food allergies and/or the accommodation of persons with food allergies are a “top priority” at its parks and resorts.
The suit alleged 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 stated 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.”
Piccolo is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 pursuant to Florida’s wrongful death act, in addition to mental pain and suffering, loss of income and funeral expenses.
Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
