Family of boy who died sues hyperbaric manufacturer, others for $100M

• Thomas Cooper, 5, from Royal Oak died within the Oxford Middle in Troy on January 31, 2025, in a fireplace in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
• Lawyer Common Dana Nessel accused the proprietor of the Oxford Middle and three workers in his loss of life legal.
• Now Fieger Legislation complains on behalf of the Thomas Cooper household in Oakland County Circuit Court docket, in search of $ 100 million in compensation. Sechrist Industries, the producer, is among the defendants.

Correction: This story has been up to date to appropriate a factual error in the important thing factors

Describing hyperbaric oxygen rooms akin to ‘Loss of life Chambers’, the lawyer for the household of a 5-year-old boy who died in a single, a producer primarily based in California, in addition to a number of others, on Monday 22 September in Oakland County Circuit Court docket.

James Harrington, managing associate at Fieger Legislation, mentioned he’ll inform the hyperbaric oxygen business. He filed a criticism that claims that the hyperbaric rooms of Monoplace, that are supposed to deal with a single particular person in a closed tube, primarily “coffins ready to ignite”, and {that a} single spark can activate an inferno from which no affected person may probably escape alive. “

The go well with is in search of $ 100 million.

“These machines are an issue,” he mentioned throughout a Monday information convention at his workplace in Southfield. “The folks they serve are an issue. And we’ve got seen what these issues can result in. They’ve resulted within the loss of life of younger, stunning Thomas.”

Thomas Cooper died in a fireplace on January 31 within the Oxford Middle in Troy, the place he underwent hyperbaric oxygen remedy to deal with ADHD and sleep apnea, issues that the US Meals and Drug Administration has not licensed for therapy with hyperbaric oxygen.

“The business is aware of that these machines can actually grow to be a fireplace bomb immediately,” mentioned Harrington. “However there may be not even one sticker. There may be not even one warning supplied.

“Individuals have to be warned.”

Extra: Within the aftermath of the kid’s loss of life, market leaders ask for the regulation of hyperbaric rooms

Extra: CEO, safety director accused of homicide of the 2nd diploma within the loss of life of the Hyperbaric Chamber of Kids

The criticism alleges that Sechrists Industries, Inc. “Purphosely” Designed, Manufactured, Offered and Maintined Thesis Monoplace Hyperbaric Chambers “With out A Fireplace-Suppression System, An Automated Fireplace Detection System, And Efficient Emergency Extraction System, Warnings Concerning Fireplace and/Orerges/Explace or Explace or Explace and Explosecing Fireplace and/Orerges/Explace/Explace or Explace/Explosion/Explosion/Explosion/Explosion/Explosion/Orerges/Explace/Explosion/Orerges/Explosation Fireplace and Explosion/Explosion/Explosion/Explosion/Explace System or Warnings Indicating the Chamber had No Fireplace Suppression System. “

The Detroit Free Press reached for Sechrist Industries for remark, however didn’t obtain an instantaneous response.

Harrington launched new pictures and pointed to the charred stretcher the place Thomas was when he died, in addition to the black circumference the place he lay.

The lawyer mentioned that greed is the driving issue behind the way in which the units are manufactured and known as on the business to do higher.

“Assign among the billions of {dollars} you do for security,” Harrington mentioned Monday, “and never solely keep watch over shareholders, administrators and revenue and Backside Line. Ensure they’re used for this and never … experiment tasks on younger kids in American households.”

Others talked about within the courtroom case, which Harrington has taken on behalf of Thomas’ dad and mom, James and Juana Cooper, are the Oxford Middle; The proprietor, Tamela Peterson, and three workers who’re criminally charged with the loss of life of Thomas – Gary Maren, Jeffrey Mosteller and Aleta Harward Moffitt – in addition to Workplace Ventures of Troy, LLC, who owns Troy -ownership.

Extra: The police say that CEO was strolling away, tried to cover proof after the loss of life of the hyperbaric room of the boy

Harrington mentioned that Juana Cooper, often called Annie Cooper, was critically burned when she tried to get her son out of the fiery room. Her bodily wounds are therapeutic, however the emotional harm won’t ever heal.

“It will change you perpetually,” he mentioned. “There may be nothing we are able to do to convey him again. There isn’t any righteousness that may ever be thought of good justice, as a result of good justice can be that we win the case and play Thomas within the again backyard.”

Free urgent particular person author Andra Could Sauri has contributed to this story.

Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Free Press Detroit.