Technician who lost fingers in Kroger refrigerant blast awarded $75 million in damages

A technician won $75M in damages after losing most fingers in a Kroger refrigerant explosion.

A Michigan jury has granted over $75 million in damages to an HVAC technician who sustained life-altering chemical injuries while on the job at a Kroger store in 2022. The technician, Brian Mierendorf, lost most of his fingers and underwent 25 surgeries following a refrigerant explosion inside the Bloomfield Hills store, according to his attorney Jon Marko in a press release cited by USA Today.

A technician was severely injured by a toxic refrigerant blast at a Kroger store, leading to a $75M jury award in Michigan. (Representational image/Unsplash)

Explosion while trying to save others

As per the outlet, the incident occurred on 1 February 2022, when Mierendorf was called to perform maintenance on a refrigeration system at the Kroger store located in Bloomfield Hills, a Detroit suburb. While on the job, a refrigeration line began spraying R-22, a highly toxic and now-banned refrigerant. The complaint stated that the leak occurred near the store’s meat department during working hours.

With no shutoff valve nearby, Mierendorf attempted to stop the leak to protect nearby customers. “Kroger had a ticking time bomb in its store… Unfortunately, it blew up on Brian, and he lost his hands trying to save other people,” said Marko in the release. He described Mierendorf’s act as heroic, noting that Kroger attempted to shift blame onto the technician during trial.

Jury delivers historic verdict

On June 17, an Oakland County jury awarded Mierendorf and his wife Heather what Marko termed a “record-breaking verdict” in Michigan for premises liability. The award includes both economic and non-economic damages for past and future suffering. “The verdict sends a clear message to Kroger that Brian’s actions should be commended,” added Marko. “Brian literally gave up his hands in the line of duty.”

Severe and lasting injuries

According to the filed complaint, Mierendorf’s left hand froze to the pipe as the refrigerant gushed out. He was barely able to breathe due to the chemical exposure. He ultimately broke free but suffered severe chemical burns, and multiple fingers on both hands had to be amputated.

As per the outlet, the complaint accused Kroger of negligence for failing to warn Mierendorf of the dangers and failing to maintain or document proper inspection and repair records for the refrigerant system. The company allegedly presented only a partial incident report more than two years after the explosion.