Brian Mierendorf, a 37-year-old pipefitter and HVAC technician, has been awarded nearly $77 million following a catastrophic accident that resulted in the amputation of most of his hands. The incident occurred at an Oakland County Kroger store in 2020 when a defective refrigeration system malfunctioned, causing an R-22 refrigerant explosion, as reported by Click on Detroit.
Details from FOX 2 Detroit indicate that the refrigerant involved, R-22, was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency two years prior to the explosion. According to Mierendorf's legal representation, no maintenance, repair, or inspection records were provided by Kroger at trial, with only a partial incident report filed more than two years after the accident.
During the trial, Mierendorf's attorney, Jon Marko, was quoted by Metro Times stating, "Kroger had a ticking time bomb in its store at Bloomfield Township, waiting to blow." Despite the massive settlement, which is said to be among the largest in Michigan's history and also the largest non-medical judgment, Mierendorf's attorney emphasized that no amount of money can bring back his client's hands.
"He’s been trying to put his life back together for the last three years, and he’s going to be doing it for the next 45 years until he leaves this Earth," Marko told Click on Detroit. The verdict sends a strong message regarding workplace safety and corporate accountability. Attempts to reach Kroger for comment were not immediately successful, as noted by Metro Times.
