A wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed against Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and its Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, following the tragic death of Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction in October 2023. The lawsuit, brought by her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo of Plainview, accuses Disney and the restaurant of negligence, alleging that staff repeatedly assured Dr. Tangsuan that her meal would be entirely allergen-free, despite her severe peanut and dairy allergies.

Dr. Tangsuan, a 42-year-old family medicine specialist from Carle Place, dined at the Disney Springs restaurant on October 5, 2023. Before placing her order, she informed the waitstaff multiple times about her life-threatening allergies. According to the lawsuit, staff gave her explicit assurances that her selected dishes, a broccoli and corn fritter, scallops, onion rings, and vegan shepherd’s pie, would be free of allergens. However, when the food arrived, some items were missing the usual allergen-free flags. Upon inquiry, the server again guaranteed that the meal was safe for her to eat.

Tragically, shortly after dinner, while shopping at Planet Hollywood, Dr. Tangsuan began experiencing severe breathing difficulties. She administered an EpiPen, but her condition quickly worsened, and she later died at a nearby hospital. A medical examiner’s report confirmed that her death resulted from anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nuts in her system.

Subsequent independent testing of Dr. Tangsuan’s leftover meal confirmed the presence of nut and dairy allergens. However, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts has moved to block the public release of these laboratory test results, designating them as confidential. This decision is being challenged by Piccolo’s attorneys, including Florida-based lawyer Brian Denney, who argued that “transparency should be the rule, not the exception,” especially when public food safety is involved. The legal team intends to present the lab findings to the court despite Disney’s confidentiality claims.

The disputed test results are not the only materials Disney seeks to withhold. The company has also requested that the deposition transcripts of restaurant workers, the restaurant’s menu, employee handbook, training manuals, guest accident reports, food preparation guidelines, and even Disney’s lease and dining participation agreements with Raglan Road remain confidential.

In addition, Piccolo’s legal team has asked the court to sanction Raglan Road for alleged “discovery abuse.” This includes claims that the restaurant’s attorneys submitted a different version of the menu used on the day of the incident just moments before Piccolo’s deposition began. During the deposition of the waiter who served Dr. Tangsuan, the restaurant’s attorneys also allegedly retracted prior training materials that described a specific “floor approach” for handling food allergies, calling them inaccurate. According to Denney, these inconsistencies forced the plaintiff’s team to spend dozens of extra hours preparing the case using misleading information.

The lawsuit also draws attention to Raglan Road’s public marketing, which emphasizes that accommodating food allergies is a top priority and that customers can speak directly with a chef or trained cast member. Denney revealed that, prior to Dr. Tangsuan’s death, at least five other patrons at the same restaurant had been served allergen-contaminated meals over the previous three years.

Piccolo is seeking damages exceeding $50,000 under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act, covering mental anguish, loss of income and companionship, and medical and funeral expenses. Dr. Tangsuan was a respected family medicine specialist at NYU Langone’s Carle Place office, where she treated patients with sleep apnea, chronic diabetes, and hypertension, and had practiced for over a decade.

Initially, Disney attempted to dismiss the lawsuit by invoking a clause in Piccolo’s Disney+ streaming service agreement, which required arbitration for disputes with the company. However, after facing public backlash and negative media coverage, Disney withdrew the argument, allowing the wrongful-death case to proceed in court.