Disney Backs Down After Arguing Man With Disney+ Couldn't Sue Over Wife's Death

After a week of backlash, Disney has reversed its stance that a man whose wife died after eating at a restaurant at Walt Disney World could not file a wrongful death lawsuit due to terms he agreed to when signing up for a free trial of Disney+ in 2019.

Lawyers for Disney said in a new statement on Monday that the lawsuit can proceed in court after initially arguing the case should be moved into private arbitration.

The company had previously said in a motion filed in May that Jeffrey Piccolo had agreed to terms and conditions that required arbitration in “all disputes” when he signed up for the streaming service and later used its My Disney platform to buy a theme park ticket. Piccolo sued the company and the owner of Raglan Road Irish Pub in Disney Springs after he said his wife had an allergic reaction that led to her death from eating at the restaurant.

Disney has decided to waive its “right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court,” according to the statement shared with HuffPost.

“At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said in the statement. “With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss.”

Court documents filed by Piccolo’s attorneys said that his wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, 42, died about an hour after dining at Raglan Road Irish Pub during their visit to Disney Springs in October.

Piccolo’s attorneys said that Tangsuan had a severe dairy and nut allergy, and the couple decided to dine at the restaurant because its webpage advertised that staff were trained in accommodating