Hotel Shower Burns Causes Scarring and Disfigurement
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A 79-year-old Hurricane Katrina refugee from New Orleans has filed a $100 million negligence suit against a New York, New York hotel, claiming that she fainted and suffered personal injuries due to being scalded while taking a shower in the hotel.
According to Ethel Tropez, who now resides in Live Oak, Texas, the March 29, 2007 incident in the Hotel Chandler resulted in being badly burned and suffering scarring and disfigurement. Her attorney, Christina Panzarella, says the water was too hot for a shower and was "close to boiling." She said that it was hot enough to burn Tropez's skin off and caused her to suffer third-degree burns.
According to Panzarella, the stall door for the shower opened inward and after being hit by the first blast of hot water, Tropez was unable to escape the small enclosure and passed out. Panzarella said that she laid unconscious for at least 30 minutes under the hot water under her daughter returned and notified hotel staff members that she was unable to get into the room.
Panzarella said that the personal injuries Tropez received required her to spend a prolonged period in the hospital and undergo multiple surgical procedures for skin grafts, particularly on her legs. She said that Tropez is still receiving medical treatment from the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Panzarella called Tropez "lucky to be alive," however she noted that her injuries were severe and she is now barely able to walk.