The family of a 42-year-old tourist with extreme food allergies says she died after eating at a popular Disney Springs restaurant last year.
The woman's husband, who filed a lawsuit in Orange Circuit Court, accused Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant of ignoring the couple's repeated warnings that she needed allergen-free food and serving the meal she ate that night.
Jeffrey Piccolo is suing Disney and Raglan Road for more than $50,000, according to the wrongful death lawsuit.
His wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, was a doctor who worked at NYU Langone and lived in New Jersey, her obituary said.
The Medical Examiner's Office ruled her Oct. 5 death an accident and said the cause of death was from anaphylaxis, according to the autopsy report obtained by Florida Politics through a public records request.
The Mayo Clinic calls anaphylaxis a "severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. It can happen seconds or minutes after you've been exposed to something you're allergic to."
The lawsuit described the frantic last moments of Tangsuan's life.
She had extreme allergies to dairy and nuts. On vacation with her husband and mother-in-law, she ate dinner at the Irish restaurant. The married couple talked to the waiter to alert the restaurant of her extreme allergies to dairy and nuts and to check which menu items had allergens in them.
"The waiter unequivocally assured them that the food would be allergen free," the lawsuit said, so she ordered broccoli and corn fritters, scallops, vegan Shepherd's pie 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 said.
Tangsuan ate her food at about 8 p.m., and then the two women split up to go shopping at different stores at Disney Springs while Piccolo returned to the hotel with the leftovers.
Forty-five minutes later, Tangsuan was alone and had a medical episode. She couldn't breathe and collapsed at Planet Hollywood. She gave herself an EpiPen shot, but it was too late. She died at the hospital.
Her mother-in-law couldn't find her until somebody answered Tangsuan's phone and said she had been taken to the hospital. At the hospital, her husband learned the tragic news.
Tangsuan's patients recalled her down-to-earth personality, her kindness and her sense of humor. "She was a great physician and an even better human," one person wrote on her online obituary page.
The lawsuit said both Disney and Raglan advertised they handled special accommodations for people with food allergies, which is why they decided to eat at the Irish eatery. The couple had believed there were enough safeguards in place to keep Tangsuan safe.
"Disney advertises and represents to the public that food allergies and/or the accommodation of persons with food allergies is a top priority at its parks and resorts, including Disney Springs and that patrons/guests may consult with a chef or special diets trained Cast Member before placing an order," the lawsuit said, which accuses Raglan of being negligent.
Florida Politics reached out to Disney, Raglan Road and Piccolo's attorney Friday morning but did not immediately get a response back.
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