HVAC Tech’s $15 Million Burn Verdict Upheld by Texas Top Court

The Texas Supreme Court upheld a $15 million verdict for an HVAC technician who was severely burned while servicing an Emerson Electric air conditioning unit, saying he presented enough design defect evidence to support the jury’s findings.

Emerson Electric Co., doing business as Fusite, made two functionally identical compressor terminals for essentially the same cost, the court said. The older design was significantly more susceptible to catastrophic failure. Emerson Climate Technologies, a corporate affiliate, used the older product in manufacturing new air conditioning compressors, the court said April 16.

Clarence Johnson installed a new compressor at a Fort Worth, Texas, ...