Disney has been around for over a century now. This October, the company will be turning 101. Since its founding on October 16, 1923, Disney has had much backlash over the years. With all this backlash comes many lawsuits, one of the most recent being the lawsuit that Jeffrey J. Piccolo has brought against them.
Piccolo and his wife, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, lived in Long Island. They bought a pass to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and went to Raglan Road to eat. According to his lawsuit, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan asked if the food she ordered was nut and dairy-free as she was highly allergic to them. The server assured them that it was. However, after she ate the food, she had an allergic reaction. Even though she used her Epipen right away, she still died later that night at a local hospital.
Piccolo has filed a lawsuit against Disney for the wrongful death of his wife. Months later, Disney told the court to dismiss the case. They said that he had agreed to settle any lawsuits against Disney out of court. Apparently, in 2019, Piccolo signed up for Disney+ and agreed to the terms and conditions, which states that any claims, except for small ones, cannot be disputed in a courtroom. Because of this, Disney stated that he cannot file a lawsuit.
After news about this incident spread, Disney received a lot of backlash. Since then, Disney has retracted its statement. They later said that Raglan Road is not owned by Disney, nor is it operated by Disney. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro said that Disney’s lawyers would be backing down from their claim and allowing the lawsuit to happen.
Piccolo’s lawyer, Brian Denney, said that Piccolo is going to continue with the lawsuit, but is aware that Disney’s arbitration clauses still exist. According to KXAN, “The right to a jury trial as outlined in the 17th amendment is a bedrock of our judicial system and should be protected and preserved.” He continued, “Attempts by corporations like Disney to avoid jury trials should be looked at with skepticism.”
No court date has been officially set.