Ammonia Leak Allegedly Produced by Defective Refrigerator

Case Overview

This claim involves injuries sustained by a hotel guest in Mississippi resulting from ammonia exposure. The guest was allegedly exposed to ammonia due to a malfunction in a defective refrigerator in the room. The guest sustained severe ammonia poisoning as a result, and suffers from a host of complications. An expert was requested to assess the defective refrigerator in question and further explain design considerations which were overlooked in producing the refrigerator.

Questions to the Engineering expert and their responses

Have you previously designed / certified small refrigerator / freezer units for use in hotel rooms?

I am not aware of any small refrigerators that would be used in a hotel room that use ammonia as the refrigerant. The ones that I am familiar with all used R-12 or 134a at this time. All of the refrigerators that I have designed have used these working fluids.

If so, are you familiar with appropriate design standards to ensure no ammonia leaks will result from usage?

While the design and safety standards are the same, the smallest refrigerators that I have worked on were typical small household refrigerators.

Have you / any company you've worked for previously been the target of a negligence claim involving a design defect / ammonia poisoning?

I have not been the target of any claims involving ammonia.

Have you ever served as an expert witness on a case similar to the one described above?

I have served as an expert witness but not involving ammonia.

Are you familiar with other incidents of hotel minibar / small refrigerators leaking ammonia, causing serious injury?

I am unaware of any similar small refrigerator incidents leaking ammonia and causing injury, probably because they do not exist.

About the expert

This expert is a recognized technical expert in refrigeration systems, furnaces, household appliances, and product development procedures and processes. While he was the Corporate Vice President of Engineering at Rheem, he oversaw all product lines and their design documentations. He has more than 35 years of experience designing and developing HVAC units at industry leaders like Rheem, Trane, and Amana/Raytheon. He belongs to a number of prestigious societies in the HVAC space, and has authored 6 publications in the field. He has 3 approved patents in outdoor heating as well. He currently serves as the president of a private management and engineering consulting firm.

E-005127

Specialties:

Engineering