Irish restaurant at Disney in Florida sued after death of New York doctor

A lawsuit has been taken against the owners of Raglan Road, an Irish restaurant in Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida, following the death of Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, 42, who suffered an allergic reaction to her food despite staff assuring her it was allergen-free.

Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan's husband Jeffrey J. Piccolo filed a lawsuit against Great Irish Pubs Florida Inc., the owners of Raglan Road, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Florida on February 22.

Dr. Tangsuan, a physician with NYU Langone Health in New York, ate at Raglan Road on October 5, 2023. According to the lawsuit, the doctor told the Irish restaurant's waiter that she was severely allergic to dairy and nuts. The waiter guaranteed her that her food would be allergen-free. 

After dinner, Tangsuan went shopping while her husband returned to their hotel room. She began suffering a severe allergic reaction while shopping and was rushed to the hospital where she died.

The medical examiner's investigation determined that Tangsuan's cause of death was "a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system."

Piccolo is seeking more than $50k in damages from Great Irish Pubs Florida Inc and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, whom he has accused of negligence.

According to the lawsuit, the damages Piccolo suffered include mental pain and suffering, loss of companionship and protection, funeral expenses, medical expenses, and loss of income.

On its website, Raglan Road is described as "a real Irish bar, a genuine Victorian-style Dublin pub that was conceived by an Irishman.

"It was built in Dublin by Irish craftspeople using Irish materials and is filled with Irish furniture, fittings, antiques, and art.

"It’s also filled with Irish chefs, barmen, servers, musicians, dancers, bands, food, drink, stories, banter, song, and laughter."

A 2023 report shows that John Cooke serves as president and Paul Nolan serves as Vice President of Raglan Road; both are natives of Dublin. Irish celebrity chef Kevin Dundon was formerly a partner, but the relationship ended in 2017.