The husband of a New York doctor has filed a lawsuit alleging she died of an allergic reaction at Disney World and accusing the Florida resort and a restaurant where she dined of negligence.
The complaint alleges that on Oct. 5, Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant served Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan food containing allergens despite multiple assurances it would be allergy-safe.
Tangsuan, 42, died that night of a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis, according to a medical examiner’s autopsy report cited in the complaint, which was filed in a Florida circuit court Thursday on behalf of her husband, Jeffrey J. Piccolo.
Disney Parks and Resorts did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Tangsuan, Piccolo and his mother went to the restaurant at Disney Springs, a Disney World shopping and dining complex, on Oct. 5 for dinner, the complaint says.
They chose to eat there believing the restaurant could accommodate her allergies, it says. The lawsuit says Disney and Raglan Road have said that accommodating those with allergies is a top priority and that customers can consult with staff members about specific ingredients.
The couple told their server that Tangsuan had severe allergies and couldn’t consume food with allergens. When they asked whether specific items were allergen-free, the server responded that they would be made so if ordered, the complaint says.
The party ordered dishes named “Sure I’m Frittered,” “Scallop Forest,” “This Shepherd Went Vegan” and “Onion Rings,” it says. They inquired about allergens “several more times” and were told “unequivocally” their food would be allergen-free, the complaint says.
When some of the dishes arrived without “allergen free flags,” the couple inquired again, and the answer from their server was the same, it says.
Following the meal at roughly 8 p.m., the party split up. Piccolo went back to the couple’s nearby hotel room, and Tangsuan stayed at Disney Springs to go shopping, the document says.
About 8:45 p.m. she began having difficulty breathing, went into a nearby restaurant and collapsed “while suffering from a severe acute allergic reaction to the food served at Raglan,” the complaint says.
She used her EpiPen in an attempt to stop her body’s severe allergic response. A bystander dialed 911, and paramedics rushed Tangsuan to a hospital, the document says.
Piccolo, unaware of the incident, dialed her cellphone, but a bystander answered and informed him about what had happened. He went to the hospital, where staff members told him Tangsuan had died, the complaint says.
An autopsy found she had elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system, according to the complaint. The autopsy report said her manner of death was an accident. It also noted that the tests were conducted after her death and that their validity and significance “have not been established.”
The complaint, which names the restaurant and Disney Parks and Resorts as defendants, alleges multiple counts of negligence. It seeks more than $50,000 in damages.
Nicholas F. DeBellis, an investigator for the plaintiff’s attorneys, said by email that although the defendants had not been served with the suit and have not formally responded, their lawyers have been in touch.
Tangsuan was a physician with NYU Langone Health, spokesperson Steve Ritea said Monday by email.
“We are saddened by Dr. Tangsuan’s passing and our deepest condolences are with her family,” he said.
Tangsuan is survived by Piccolo. The couple hoped to have children, said DeBellis, the plaintiff’s investigator.
