Disney has asked a Florida court to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this year regarding a woman who passed away due to anaphylaxis after a meal at Disney Springs, citing an arbitration waiver in the terms and conditions for Disney+.

In the latest update for the Disney Springs wrongful death lawsuit, Disney cited legal language within the terms and conditions for Disney+, which “requires users to arbitrate all disputes with the company.” Disney claims Piccolo reportedly agreed to this in 2019 when signing up for a one-month free trial of the streaming service on his PlayStation console.

In the May 31 motion filed to move the wrongful death lawsuit to arbitration, Disney attorneys said that the Disney+ subscriber agreement states that any dispute, except for small claims, “must be resolved by individual binding arbitration.”

Attorneys for Piccolo called Disney’s latest motion “preposterous,” and that it’s “‘absurd’ to believe that the 153 million subscribers to the popular streaming service have waived all claims against the company and its affiliates because of language ‘buried’ within the terms and conditions,” according to Newsday.

The notion that terns agreed to by a consumer when creating a Disney+ free trial account would forever bar that consumer’s right to a jury trial in any dispute with any Disney affiliate or subsidiary, is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience, and this court should not enforce such an agreement.

Brian Denny, Piccolo’s West Palm Beach attorney in a filing on August 2, 2024

  • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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    4 months ago

    Disney claims Piccolo reportedly agreed to this in 2019 when signing up for a one-month free trial of the streaming service on his PlayStation console.

    holy fucking shit. she ‘signed up’ for a one-month free trial 5 years ago and now youre forever held to some arbitration?! are you fucking kidding me?!?!

    • MajorHavoc@programming.dev
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      4 months ago

      If the courts let Disney get away with this, it will slightly erode my faith in non-guillotine resolutions to the current phase of bullshit like this.

        • The Quuuuuill@slrpnk.net
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          4 months ago

          I don’t think our politicians get that our legal system and media outlets have created the perfect confluence of bullshit to where a vast swath of people feel the only way to make change is via violence. I fully anticipate a “both sides are equally at fault” within the next 12 months when some state crazy enough to do it sucedes from the union. “Aren’t the leftists standing up to the far right militias equally at fault” they’ll say

          • snooggums@midwest.social
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            4 months ago

            I don’t think our politicians get that our legal system and media outlets have created the perfect confluence of bullshit to where a vast swath of people feel the only way to make change is via violence.

            This has been the situation in the US for minorities when interacting with the police and courts since the nation was founded. All protests for equal rights that turned into riots (because police escalated the situation) were the result of frustration with this kind of bullshit.

            • The Quuuuuill@slrpnk.net
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              4 months ago

              100%. Any time I hear people talking about “why are you destroying your own city” all I can think is… Why doesn’t the city work for the people? What systemic issue is being ignored that the only solution left is a brick through a window? Why are the working class punishing the property holders?

    • Otter@lemmy.ca
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      4 months ago

      Someone involved in this HAD to know how bad it would look. Even if not 100% accurate, the meme is going to be:

      Don’t subscribe to Disney+ or else Disney can kill you and get away with it

  • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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    4 months ago

    Whoa wtf, the lawyer who suggested that needs to be brought up before the bar immediately

  • Corigan@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    Forced arbitration should be outlawed in all forms. If it was possible to amend the bill of rights (given our current political bullshit) we should the have the right to a fair trail for all matters.

    This is ridiculous.

  • deranger
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    4 months ago

    The linked article sucks compared to the BBC article.

    Importantly, and not that I agree with it, but they also accepted the arbitration clause for the account used to buy a ticket to the park in 2023. It’s not just the subscription arbitration clause that’s involved. This will likely complicate things.

    Disney adds that Mr Piccolo accepted these terms again when using his Disney account to buy tickets for the theme park in 2023.

    • solarvector@lemmy.zip
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      I doubt they re-accepted it when they used their Disney account in any way a normal person would consider acceptance. That’s why the corporation includes clauses like “by continued use of our service you agree to any further errosion of human rights we feel infringes upon our current growth or profit model”.

      Buying tickets was the most recent use of service.

    • spongebue@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Getting warmer with that one, but Disney Springs is not a ticketed theme park. It’s a shopping and restaurant thing, basically an outdoor Disney-themed mall.

      • deranger
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        4 months ago

        Mr Piccolo alleges that the restaurant at Disney World - in Orlando, Florida

        Seems both he and Disney say it’s at the park, idk. It’s bullshit either way, I hope he’s able to get some justice.

  • LifeOfChance@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    So if this happens then every company in the US will begin hiding it in everything. It’ll be in small writing on the packages “if you buy this item you can never sue us!”

  • blackwateropeth@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Just think, if the company arbitrates, the family might get a free parking voucher to a Disney land they live nowhere near!

    Holy fuck I hope this suggestion gets laughed at by the judge, and promptly tossed.

    Disney, an employee made a mistake, your employee, fucking own it.