Disney drops bid to stop allergy death lawsuit over Disney+ terms

Disney has withdrawn its claim that a man could not sue it over the death of his wife because of terms he signed up to in a free trial of Disney+.

Jeffrey Piccolo filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Disney and the owners of a restaurant after his wife died in 2023 from a severe allergic reaction following a meal at Disney World, in Florida.

Disney had argued the case should instead go to arbitration because of a clause in the terms and conditions of its Disney+ streaming service, which Mr Piccolo had briefly signed up for in 2019.

But, following a backlash, it has decided the matter can now be heard in court.

“We believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss,” Disney’s Josh D’Amaro told the BBC in a statement.

“As such, we’ve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court.”

Arbitration means the dispute is overseen by a neutral third party who is not a judge. It is usually a quicker, cheaper and less public process than a court case.

Mr Piccolo and his wife, Dr Kanokporn Tangsuan, ate a meal at Raglan Road, an Ireland-themed pub located at the Disney Springs site, in Orlando, but operated by an independent company.

He alleges that the restaurant did not take enough care over his wife’s severe allergies to dairy and nuts, despite being repeatedly told about them.

She died in hospital later that day.

According to the legal filing, her death was confirmed by a medical examiner “as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.”

Mr Piccolo is suing Disney for a sum in excess of $50,000 (£38,400), in addition to other damages relating to suffering, loss of income, and medical and legal costs.

Disney has argued it had no control over the management and operation of the restaurant.