$500,000 Settlement for Deli Fire Burns Worker’s Hands

A faulty valve in the propane oven of a bagel shop caused an explosion which severely burned the hands of the 31-year-old worker who lit the oven each morning at 4 a.m.

Although the burns did not cause any functional disability in their use, plaintiff often wears gloves to hide disfiguring scars on his hands.

The firm argued that the oven alarms were inadequate, the main gas valve had been defectively manufactured , and the oven manufacturer was negligent in choosing this valve which permitted a small degree of leakage by specification for his oven.

After four, all day, laboratory inspections of the component control system and valves in the oven as well as several depositions of the defendants representatives, claims were settled for $500,000 after the case was assigned for trial.