Doctor's family sues as she dies after eating at Disney World restaurant
The husband of a doctor who died shortly after dining at Disney World has now filed a lawsuit against the Florida resort.
Dr Kanokporn Tangsuan, from New York, visited the shopping and dining complex Disney Springs on October 5 with her husband, Jeffrey J Piccolo, and Piccolo's mother.
The trio ate at the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant; an establishment that Piccolo has since claimed assured their food would be allergy-safe.
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In a lawsuit filed in a Florida circuit court on Thursday (February 22), a medical examiner’s autopsy report states Dr Tangsuan died later on the evening of the meal due to a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
Piccolo has accused Disney and the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant of negligence in the lawsuit, which also claims that Disney and Raglan Road have said accommodating customers with allergies is a top priority.
The lawsuit states that Dr Tangsuan and Piccolo told their server at the restaurant that Dr Tangsuan had severe allergies and could not consume food with allergens.
They allegedly asked whether specific items were allergen-free, to which the server responded that they would be made so if ordered.
After ordering their food, the couple are said to have inquired about allergens 'several more times' and were told 'unequivocally' that the food would be allergen-free.
The group finished their meal at about 8pm, after which Piccolo went back to their hotel while Dr Tangsuan stayed at Disney Springs to go shopping,
At approximately 8:45pm, the doctor began having difficulty breathing.
She went into a nearby restaurant and collapsed 'while suffering from a severe acute allergic reaction', which the complaint claims was from the food served at Raglan.
Dr Tangsuan used her EpiPen in an attempt to stop the reaction while a bystander called 911. She was taken to hospital, but sadly passed away.
Unaware of the incident, Piccolo dialled Dr Tangsuan's cell phone and was informed by a bystander about what happened. His wife had already passed away by the time he arrived at the hospital.
An autopsy revealed Dr Tangsuan had elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system, and listed her manner of death as an accident. It also noted that the significance of the tests 'have not been established'.
Piccolo is seeking more than $50,000 in damages in the lawsuit.
Nicholas F. DeBellis, an investigator for the plaintiff’s attorneys, told NBC News that lawyers for the defendants have been in touch with the plaintiffs.
LADbible Group has contacted Disney Parks and Resorts for comment.
Topics: Disney World, US News
Emily Brown