Disney is allegedly trying to fight a food allergy fatality lawsuit on the grounds that the widower once signed up for a free trial of its TV streaming service. Kanokporn Tangsuan, 42, had a deadly allergic reaction last October at an Irish pub at Disney Springs, a shopping mall that is part of Disney World, Orlando. Husband Jeffrey Piccolo has filed a ‘wrongful death’ lawsuit in Florida, claiming Walt Disney Parks and Resorts was negligent and failed to properly train their staff.
Ms Tangsuan, a New York doctor, was allergic to dairy and nuts. But Disney has sought to dismiss the claim and argued it should be sent instead to arbitration. The company insisted Mr Piccolo created a Disney+ account in 2019 and bought tickets to its Epcot centre in 2023, in which he agreed to its terms and conditions.
The subscriber agreement has an arbitration clause, as do park tickets. But court files reveal Mr Piccolo’s lawyers called Disney’s argument ‘preposterous’ and said it ‘borders on the surreal’. Mr Piccolo is seeking in excess of £39,000 in the lawsuit.
Disney said: “This restaurant is neither owned nor operated by Disney and we are merely defending ourselves.”.
