Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan wrongful death lawsuit: NYU doctor dies from severe allergy reaction after being assured by Disney World restaurant, Raglan Road Irish Pub that the food would be allergen free. Except it wasn’t.
The spouse of a NYC doctor who died after eating a meal at a Disney World restaurant, despite being assured the food was allergen free has filed 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 lawsuit — filed Thursday by Piccolo — states that Tangsuan told their waiter that she had severe allergies to dairy and nuts, asking to confirm that various items on the menu were able to be served allergen free. Court documents state that both Disney and Raglan Road advertise that they accommodate people with special food allergies.
Death caused by elevated levels of dairy and nuts in one’s system
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.
However, 45 minutes after Tangsuan ate her meal, she started having a severe allergic reaction to the food and self-administered her EpiPen. She began having difficulty breathing and collapsed before 911 was called and she was taken to the hospital.
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 citing an autopsy.
Preemptive measures
Piccolo is seeking an undetermined amount of damages exceeding the sum of $50,000 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.’
‘Jeff really wants to make sure that this never happens to anyone else,’ Piccolo’s attorney Brian Denney told Florida 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.’
Tangsuan is survived by Piccolo. The couple hoped to have children according to the plaintiff’s attorney’s investigator, Nicholas F. DeBellis.
Disney World to date has declined media overture for comment.
Social media responds
And then there were these comments (below) on social media that caught this author’s attention, see what you think?
‘If I could DIE from a trace allergen, you can BET I wouldn’t eat out in restaurants. If you are that allergic why eat out?’
‘If you have a serious food allergy, you simply MUST accept that you can NOT dine out SAFELY. There is simply too much opportunity for cross contamination in busy restaurant kitchens.’
‘If you have food allergies do yourself a favor and pack your own food.’
‘Don’t trust your life to teenage cooks making minimum wage.’
