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The family of an Arby’s employee who died while trapped in a freezer has sued the fast food giant.
The body of 63-year-old Nguyet Le was found inside a walk-in freezer at Arby’s restaurant in New Iberia, Louisiana, on 11 May. Le was discovered in the fetal position with blood on her hands from her fruitless attempt to escape after she became trapped, according to KLFY.
Le’s family is now suing Arby’s for negligence, gross negligence, and wrongful death in a $1m lawsuit filed last week. They allege that managers at the store were aware of the faulty freezer latch since last summer and were “indifferen[t] in failing to repair the latch for nearly 9 months.”
“I think once you see the police report, you’re going to see how horrific this was and how it was described to me,” Paul Skrabanek, the attorney representing the family, told KLFY.
“Her getting caught into this freezer and trying to beat on the door until her hands were bloody. There was blood all over the door, and then she collapsed into a fetal position before freezing face-first to the floor.”
According to Mr Skrabanek, an autopsy determined Le died of hypothermia.
Le, who lived in Houston, Texas, was temporarily assigned to work in the New Iberia store.
She was opening the store when she became trapped and was found by her son, who arrived for his shift at 10am on the day of the tragedy.
According to the lawsuit, employees at the store had been using a box of oil to keep the door open and a screwdriver to open it.
The Independent has reached out to Arby’s for comment.
