A Commerce woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Publix, claiming the grocery chain was at fault when her husband fell into a deep fryer, leading to his 2015 death.
Mansur Blount was a vent hood technician. Part of his job was to clean vent hoods at client businesses, including a Publix location in Dacula, where he was doing that work on June 25, 2015, according to the lawsuit.
A Publix spokeswoman said it is the company’s policy not to comment on open lawsuits.
The vents were above a deep fryer filled with hot cooking oil, and the fryer was covered with a “thin metal cover,” the suit says. Blount was “not aware of the hazard” and unfamiliar with the store, according to the lawsuit.
Blount was standing with his left leg on the cover while he cleaned the vent. Suddenly, the fryer cover gave way and Blount’s left leg fell into the deep fryer, the suit says. Blount suffered severe burns and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, first to the emergency room and later to the burn unit.
Blount died July 4, 2015 while hospitalized at Grady. He was 37. His death was caused by the burns, the lawsuit says. Lawyers for Blount’s widow, Chrissie McGee Blount, did not respond to calls seeking to clarify the medical cause of death. A call to a phone number listed for McGee Blount was not answered.
McGee Blount is suing Publix for “the full value of the life of Mansur Blount,” attorney’s fees and court costs.
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