Disney Says a Man Can't Sue Them After His Wife Died Due to an Allergic Reaction at One of Their Restaurants Because of the Terms of Service on His Disney+ Subscription
NBC News — Disney is trying to have a widower's wrongful death lawsuit dismissed and sent to arbitration because the man had signed up for a Disney+ account several years ago.
Jeffrey J. Piccolo sued Disney Parks and Resorts in February, months after his wife, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, died after she consumed food containing allergens at a restaurant in Disney World.
Piccolo said in his complaint that he, his wife and his mother went to dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at the resort in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 5. They asked several times whether Tangsuan's allergies could be accommodated, according to the complaint. Despite the server’s having assured them, Tangsuan had a severe allergic reaction and died at a local hospital, the complaint said.
Disney filed court documents in May saying the $50,000 lawsuit should be dismissed and resolved by individual arbitration because of terms Piccolo agreed to when he signed up for a free trial of the streaming service Disney+. The filing also says he accepted the same terms when he used the Walt Disney Parks website to buy tickets.
This story may claim an undisputed title in a category for which I'm not sure I would have ever guessed there could be an objective No. 1, but this is the worst PR move ever made by a corporation. Ever.
What the fuck are you doing, Disney? This guy's wife died on your watch, he sues for virtually nothing and you come back with this nonsense? The Walt Disney Company has a current market cap of $160 billion. They should have written this guy a check for double what he was suing for and everyone could have moved on with their lives. The most eagle-eyed of accountants wouldn't have noticed. Instead, Disney chose to have this story out there over $50,000.
I hope this guy gets $10 million now. I can't imagine there's a judge in the country that looks at the facts of this case and sides with the assholes saying you can't sue for a wrongful death because you signed up for a streaming service in 2019. I would have guessed one of the most successful companies in the world would have some pretty sensible attorneys, but it doesn't necessarily seem like that's the case.
If you have any food allergies and have ever streamed a Disney Channel Original Movie, maybe pack your own food if you ever go to Orlando.