Kentucky motel ordered to pay $2 million after guest dies from 150-degree shower

The family of a 76-year-old Kentucky man was awarded over $2 million for his death from second- and third-degree burns suffered in a scalding hot motel shower where water temperatures reached at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Court documents from the lawsuit alleged that Alex Chronis checked into the Econo Lodge in Erlanger, Kentucky, on Nov. 18, 2021. The next morning, he turned on the shower and was immediately struck by extremely hot water that knocked him to the floor while the water continued to burn him. The two people who were in the motel with Chronis heard his screams and removed him from the tub.

“He had to go through skin grafting because he had deep-tissue second- and third-degree burns from the scalding temperature of the shower at the hotel,” Jeffrey Blankenship, attorney for Chronis' family, told NBC News Thursday.

After spending several months in the hospital, Chronis ultimately passed away on June 19, 2022. Chronis never married and had no children, so his niece filed a lawsuit against the motel on his behalf.

Expert witnesses’ testimonies revealed that the water temperature was at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Photos taken by Chronis' nephew, who was at the motel with him, showed severely damaged and discolored patches of skin all over Chronis' legs.

The final trial order, entered by the court on July 11, gave Chronis' estate $1,271,486.60 to cover medical expenses, $16,058.73 for funeral expenses, $250,000 for pain and suffering, and $500,000 for punitive damages. The defense was given 30 days to file an appeal.

The defense claimed Chronis didn't even stay at the motel, said Blankenship. Attorneys for the defense declined to comment, citing the pending appeal.