A Florida man claims only a nearby swimming pool saved him from being burned alive, after he allegedly caught fire when a propane grill exploded at his apartment complex.
He wants the landlord of his "resort-style" apartment building to be made to pay for his injuries.
Alexandru Gaidau, filed suit against a group of defendants including Richman Orlando Development Partners, which does business as "The Morgan Apartments", Summit Contracting Corporation, and Superior Equipment Solutions, Inc. (Richman) on March 6 in Orange County Circuit Court. Gaidau is accusing Richman of negligence and a breach of contract claiming the landlord did not properly install or maintain the complex's propane grill and is liable for the severe injuries he received when the grill exploded while Gaidau was using it.
The Morgan Apartments in Orlando are just one of multiple Morgan apartment complexes across the country, including in Florida, that are owned and managed by Richman, according to the complaint. They are considered luxury "resort style" properties offering residents multiple amenities including a summer kitchen with community propane grills, the complaint said.
In addition to property management, Richman also promotes a secondary business under Superior Equipment Services which designs, develops, sells, distributes and installs outdoor cooking grills, including the pool-side model in the summer kitchen, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, Richman was contractually required to ensure and maintain the safety of the apartment complex and all community areas and fixtures, including the summer kitchen, the outdoor grilling area, and the grill in question. Gaidau is alleging that the grills were not only improperly designed and installed, but is accusing Richman of gross negligence for his failure to detect or repair the design flaw which allegedly caused a backup of propane in the unit, a serious safety hazard Gaidau contends was the direct cause of the explosion.
The complaint asserts the Orlando Fire Department reported other emergencies involving that same grill in the days immediately preceding the incident in which Gaidau was injured. Despite this, the landlord did nothing to fix the grill's allegedly dangerous condition. After the incident involving Gaidau, an investigation allegedly found that the grill used was designed wrong and maintained in a way that allowed flammable gas to accumulate within the grill structure, unbeknownst to the user.
On July 31, 2022, Gaidau planned to use the grill to prepare steaks. According to the complaint, shortly after lighting the grill the malfunction occurred and the grill exploded allegedly catching the plaintiff on fire, leaving him allegedly severely injured.
Although he was physically on fire, Gaidau allegedly was able to save himself by jumping into the nearby pool to extinguish the flames which had caused significant burns. Those burns allegedly were so severe that they caused permanent disfigurement. Gaidau contends Richman's alleged negligence was the driving force behind the incident and he seeks to hold Richman liable.
Gaidau is demanding a trial by jury, actual and punitive damages including pain and suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress, legal fees and court costs.
Plaintiff is represented by attorney Steven E. Naman, of Morgan and Morgan P.A., of Orlando.