NEWS: After Facing Backlash, Disney Agrees to Court Hearing in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Back in February 2024, Disney was sued because someone dined at a Disney World restaurant and had an allergic reaction to their meal.

Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan suffered an allergic reaction after dining at Raglan Road in Disney Springs and later died in the hospital. Now, her husband Jeffrey Piccolo is suing the company for $50,000. Disney tried to get this case dismissed and settled out of court, but has now changed its stance on the matter.

According to Deadline, Disney is now waiving arbitration in this specific case and has chosen to take the matter to court.

Previously, Disney had argued that by signing up for a free trial of Disney+ in 2019 and using the Disney+ discount to purchase theme park tickets in 2023, Piccolo agreed to the streamer’s terms of service. The Disney+ terms of service note that “all disputes” with “The Walt Disney Company or its affiliates” should be settled out of court via arbitration. Now, Disney has waived the arbitration.

“At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations,” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro said in a statement. “With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss. As such, we’ve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court.”

Piccolo’s attorneys had previously argued against the arbitration, noting, “Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is explicitly seeking to bar its 150 million Disney+ subscribers from ever prosecuting a wrongful death case against it in front of a jury even if the case facts have nothing to with Disney+.”

Now that the case will go to court, we’ll continue to keep a close eye on the proceedings. The complaint lodged against Disney notes that the family told their Raglan Road server about Tangsuan’s food allergies and were assured that it would be okay to dine at the restaurant.