Most Americans have signed away their right to take a company to court
(Axios) “Nearly everyone in the U.S. who’s ever signed up for a cellphone, streaming service or account on a website, has signed away their right to take a company to court for wrongdoing.
Why it matters: Most of us never get confronted with that reality, but this week the issue rose to the public’s attention in a particularly extreme case involving a widower’s lawsuit against Disney.
Catch up fast: Jeffrey Piccolo’s wife died after dining at a restaurant at Disney World last year, he asserted in a lawsuit this year. She’d told her server at the restaurant about her allergies to dairy and nuts. But after dinner, she had a severe allergic reaction and died, per the suit.
- The wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant and Disney claimed, among other things, that the company’s website had noted its commitment to accommodating customers with food allergies.
- Disney denied any wrongdoing and argued that Piccolo had waived his right to sue twice when he signed up for a Disney+ streaming account in 2019 and when he used the Disney World website in 2023.
