Disney drops bid to have restaurant death lawsuit tossed over US man’s Disney+ sign-up
- The firm earlier argued that Jeffrey Piccolo, whose wife died of a food allergy, couldn’t sue because of a clause in his streaming agreement
Walt Disney Co on Monday agreed to have a court decide a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by a widower in Florida, after earlier arguing the case belonged in arbitration because the man signed up for a trial of streaming service Disney+ in 2019.
The lawsuit was filed by the husband of a woman who died last year from an allergic reaction after eating at a restaurant in the Disney Springs shopping complex in Orlando.
“We believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Experiences said in an emailed statement.
“As such, we’ve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court,” D’Amaro added.
The case began when Jeffrey Piccolo, his wife Kanokporn Tangsuan and her mother ate at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant on October 5, 2023, allegedly selecting the eatery because both Disney and Raglan advertised that it made accommodating people with food allergies a top priority.
Despite alleged assurances from the waiter that Tangsuan’s order was allergen-free, she had an acute allergic reaction and died of anaphylaxis from elevated levels of nut and dairy in her system, the complaint in Orange County court said.
