The family of a Marine Corps veteran who had traveled to San Jose to see his granddaughter graduate from college in May is suing the hotel where he was staying after he was found dead and severely scalded in the shower of his hotel room.
77-year-old Terril Johnson had just come to town after driving from Los Angeles on May 22, and was planning to see his granddaughter graduate from San Jose State University the following day. As Bay Area News Group reports, Johnson never made it to the graduation, and was found unresponsive and partially submerged in scalding hot water in the bathtub of his hotel room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites near the San Jose airport, with the water still running.
The family says in a wrongful death claim against the hotel that Johnson was "effectively boiled alive" by the superheated shower water, which far exceeded state regulations for hot-water levels.
Johnson was reportedly found by his grandson, Deshun Johnson, and other family members were present at the hotel as well, including the granddaughter who was set to graduate, Trinity Johnson.
The lawsuit against Marriott International offers a grisly description of events, saying, "When family members rushed to assist, the water was so dangerously hot they could not initially lift him from the tub. As they struggled desperately to save him, they were forced to watch in horror as his skin peeled away from his body."
A coroner's report lists Johnson's cause of death as "severe scalding burns” to his neck, torso, and extremities, in addition to the underlying condition of high blood pressure. It remains unclear why Johnson was unable to exit the shower, but the water temperature, which was reportedly documented at 135 degrees, is capable of causing third-degree burns in a matter of seconds.
"This was not a freak accident; it was the direct result of Defendants’ gross negligence and failure to meet even basic safety obligations," the lawsuit says, per KRON4. The suit was filed on behalf of Johnson’s widow of more than fifty years, his son, his daughter-in law, and his grandchildren.
Johnson served in the Vietnam War and later worked for 23 years as lead technician with the Los Angeles Metro Transit Authority, before his retirement last year.
As his son tells Bay Area News Group, "He was just a fun-loving person. He enjoyed life."
The lawsuit, filed October 15, is seeking unspecified damages, and seeks a jury trial.
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