Disney drops arbitration push, agrees to have wrongful death lawsuit decided in court

The Walt Disney Co. on Monday agreed to have a court decide on a wrongful death lawsuit, brought by a widower in Florida after earlier arguing that the case belonged in arbitration because the man signed up for a trial of streaming service Disney+ in 2019.

The lawsuit was filed by the husband of a woman who died last year from an allergic reaction after eating at a restaurant in the Disney Springs shopping complex in Orlando.

"We believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss," Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, told Reuters in an emailed statement. "As such, we've decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court."

The case began when Jeffrey Piccolo, his wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, and her mother ate at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant on Oct. 5, 2023. Family members said they chose the eatery because Disney and Raglan advertised that it made accommodating people with food allergies a top priority.

What to know:Theme park food and food allergies don’t always mix. Here’s how they can.

Despite assurances from the waiter that Tangsuan's order was allergen-free, the complaint in the complaint in Orange County court says, she had an acute allergic reaction and died of anaphylaxis from elevated levels of nut and dairy in her system.

In its initial response in April to the complaint, Disney made no mention of arbitration, instead arguing it was not liable because it has no control over Raglan's operations or management and merely serves as its landlord.

In another filing in late May, Disney offered a new defense: that the complaint is subject to arbitration based on Piccolo's Disney+ subscription, as well as his use of the company's website in 2023 to buy theme park tickets.

Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; editing by Lincoln Feast.