Hydrocarbon Refrigerants

Emerson Straw has been asked to represent and investigate a dangerous incident that occurred in Largo, Florida caused by an increasingly prevalent and dangerous air conditioning refrigerant substitute. Hydrocarbon based refrigerants aim to replace traditional chemicals such as Freon in refrigerators and air conditioners.

Although these products have a reputation for being an environmentally beneficial alternative, they can also become highly combustible and extremely dangerous when ignited or mixed with air. It could take as little as 4 ounces of leaking hydrocarbon refrigerant in a vehicle and sparks from lighting a cigarette to ignite the chemicals. (1)

This certified EPA air conditioning professional suffered severe burns to his lower extremity after being exposed to this highly combustible refrigerant substitute.

He was on the job to service a broken air conditioner. Unbeknownst to him, a refrigerant substitute was used in an attempt to fix the broken air conditioner. When the refrigerant was released from a valve in the air conditioner, it mixed with air causing it to combust and produce severe bodily harm.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a chemical burn such as this one, or any other injury caused by negligent use of hydrocarbon refrigerant substitutes, contact Emerson Straw at 727-821-1500.