Photo:Matt Stroshane
Matt Stroshane
A New York City doctor died shortly after eating a meal at a Disney World restaurant that was not allergen-free, according to a wrongful death lawsuit.
On Oct. 5, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, a physician at NYU Langone Hospital, was having dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub in the park’s Disney Springs area with her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, and his mother.
The waiter reportedly confirmed with the chef that Tangsuan’s meal could be made allergen free. “The waiter unequivocally assured them that the food would be allergen free,” the lawsuit states, noting that Tangsuan ordered broccoli and corn fritter, scallops and onion rings.
“When the waiter returned with Kanokporn Tangsuan’s food, some of the items did not have allergen free flags in them and Kanokporn Tangsuan and Jeffrey Piccolo once again questioned the waiter who, once again, guaranteed the food being delivered to Kanokporn Tangsuan was allergen free,” the lawsuit alleges.
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Tangsuan later died at the hospital. Her cause of death was “a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system,” the lawsuit states.
Piccolo is now seeking $50,000 in damages from the restaurant and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Inc. in pursuant to Florida’s wrongful death act, in addition to mental pain and suffering, loss of income and medical and funeral expenses.
The lawsuit alleges 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.”
Disney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“Jeff really wants to make sure that this never happens to anyone else,” Piccolo’s attorney Brian Denney toldFlorida Politics. “It’s very important to him that people are aware that people with severe allergies like this should be taken seriously. And he doesn’t want this to happen to anybody else’s family.”
source: people.com
