The couple would not have been sufficiently warned about the allergens present in the dishes offered by the restaurant.
A man filed a complaint against the Disney World theme park in Florida (United States) this Thursday, February 22 after his wife died last October following a meal in a restaurant on the site, reports CNN.
Amy Kanokporn Tangsuan, a 42-year-old doctor, went with her husband Jeffrey Piccolo and her mother-in-law to the amusement park on October 5.
During their visit, they stopped at a restaurant on the site, the Raglan Road Irish Pub.
They chose this restaurant as a priority because they felt it was the most suitable place for Amy, who suffers from severe food allergies, to lactose and nuts.
Severe difficulty breathing
When taking the order, they explicitly specified Amy's allergies "repeatedly" which could have life-threatening consequences.
According to the complaint filed by Jeffrey Piccolo, the server assured the couple that certain dishes could be prepared without allergens.
She ordered a vegan donut, scallops, onion rings and a vegan shepherd's pie, details the complaint.
Some of the dishes were not specified on the menu as “allergen-free,” but the server again assured the couple that the dishes did not contain lactose or nuts.
This story is incredibly sad.
"It still haunts her husband that Kanokporn "Amy" Tangsuan died alone."
My latest story about a new #WaltDisneyWorld lawsuit filed after a woman's death last year.https://t.co/Kt5wTuM9dA pic.twitter.com/KUBe7iV1hI
— Gabrielle Russon (@GabrielleRusson) February 23, 2024
Shortly after the meal, Amy suffered "a severe acute allergic reaction."
She “began having severe difficulty breathing and collapsed on the floor”, which is when emergency services were called.
Despite using an Epi-Pen, a powerful adrenaline injection to counter the allergy, Amy succumbed to the shock.
According to the report carried out by a forensic doctor, the forty-year-old died of “anaphylaxis due to high levels of dairy products and nuts in her body”.
Restaurant accused of “negligence”
In his complaint, Jeffrey Piccolo accuses the restaurant of “negligence” after the death of his wife.
According to the victim's husband, the Raglan Road pub failed to properly train its staff, employees did not properly warn Amy of the presence of allergens and employees did not prepare allergen-free dishes as explicitly requested Many times.
It also calls into question Disney World, as manager responsible for controlling commercial activities and compliance with the rules in force.
Also read: Food allergies: have the right reflexes!
The man is asking the entertainment giant for more than $50,000 in damages (around 46,000 euros), as permitted by law in Florida.
It requires financial compensation for moral suffering, death of a spouse, loss of income, as well as coverage of medical and funeral expenses.
According to his attorney Brian Denney, Jeffrey Piccolo is “devastated by the untimely death of his beloved wife.
Amy had a long life ahead of her and she and Jeff were planning to start a family.
This should never have happened.
Jeff is filing charges in this case in part to prevent such a tragedy from happening to another family,” he insisted to CNN.
Disney has not yet reacted.