A Tennessee man died after being badly burned in a hotel shower where temperatures reached a scorching 149 degrees Fahrenheit.
Alex Chronis, 76, tragically lost his life on June 19, 2022, after taking a shower at the Econo Lodge in Erlanger, Kentucky, about 10 miles across the border from Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 19, 2021.
On July 3, his family was awarded more than $2 million for medical and funeral expenses after filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Sanjay Patel, the owner of the budget hotel, and Aspyn, LLC, the operator of the Econo Lodge.
After the incident, Chronis, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was in and out of the hospital and had to undergo major procedures, the lawsuit said.
“His death was caused by complications from the severe burns that could have been so easily prevented if the hotel management had simply had a procedure in place to ensure the safety of their customers,” said Jeff Blankenship, the family’s attorney. Law and Crime.
Alex Chronis, 76, tragically lost his life on June 19, 2022 after taking a scorching 150F shower at an Econo Lodge in Erlanger, Kentucky on November 19, 2021
According to the indictment, Chronis was on a business trip when the fatal incident occurred.
While sharing a hotel room with two coworkers, Chronis decided to take a shower. He was “almost immediately doused with scalding hot water, causing him to fall to the bottom of the shower and continue to suffer from the water,” the lawsuit said.
His colleagues heard him fall to the ground and scream in pain, then they ran to the bathroom to help him.
The next day, he and his colleagues attended a festival and sold food before being taken to Miami Valley Hospital.
Although doctors ordered him to rest after his release, Chronis returned to work at the festival, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Two days later he was readmitted to the hospital and stayed there for about five months.
Chronis underwent multiple transplant procedures for his severe burns and was also treated for unspecified medical conditions related to the incident, the lawsuit said.
Chronis decided to take a shower, where he was “almost immediately bombarded with scalding hot water, causing him to fall to the bottom of the shower tub, where the water continued to scald him.” (Photo: The Econo Lodge in Erlanger, Kentucky)
In April 2022, he was stable enough to be transferred to a rehabilitation center in Knoxville, but his health did not improve.
In June 2022, Chronis was transferred to another hospital, where he died of his injuries.
A Kenton Circuit County jury found that Patel and Aspyn, LLC “failed to exercise ordinary care in inspecting and maintaining” the hotel room “in a reasonably safe condition for use by their guests.”
The jury also concluded that the plumbing company that installed the boiler in the hotel was not at fault.
While it’s unclear what exactly caused the scalding hot water, the lawsuit alleges “failure to install working faucets/fixtures and valves.”
The $2,037,545.30 settlement included $1,271,486.60 for medical bills, $250,000 for Chronis’ mental and physical anguish, $500,000 in punitive damages, and $16,058.73 for funeral expenses.
A private funeral service was held for Chronis, who was a brother, uncle and great-uncle.
“We loved him and will miss him so much,” a loved one said on his Facebook page. obituary page.
According to Arizona Department of Child SafetyMost adults can sustain third-degree burns when exposed to 150°F (65°C) water for just two seconds.