$1 million settlement for faulty hot water heater in building

[Bob Floss II]

I thought this was worth sharing. Most of us think of installation of a hot water heater in an apartment building as pretty basic.

I received an article from a personal injury attorney in Chicago detailing his recent settlement. He represented a client with limited mobility due to several strokes. She sat in her shower chair and turned on the shower. The water that came out was scalding hot and when she attempted to get out of the way, she landed in the tub and laid in the scalding water. She suffered burns to her legs that resulted in permanent scarring and spent time in the ICU on a feeding tube.

The attorney discovered the apartment building owner did not obtain a permit for the installation, did not use a licensed plumber, did not inspect the hot water heater, and did not properly install them. The attorney hired an expert that determined the water was over 140 degrees and city code says the temperature cannot go over 140 degrees. As a result, the building owner settled with the plaintiff in pretrial conference for $1 million.

Something to think about the next time you replace a hot water heating in a building.