Man Sues Macy's Over Flammable Shirt

Who do you sue when you get badly burned after lighting your cigarette with a stove's burner? Well, if you're Staten Island resident Joel Lederman, you'll sue Macy's because it sold a dangerous shirt.

The Staten Island Advance reports that Lederman filed a lawsuit against Macy's for selling a "light-blue, 100-percent cotton Club Room by Charter Club T-shirt " which had a chemical finish that "behaved as an accelerant." The lawsuit claims the shirt was "dangerous, hazardous and unsafe as manufactured."

The incident occurred four years ago; Lederman's wife found him "in trauma" and he suffered serious burns that required two surgeries and weeks at the Staten Island University Hospital's burn unit. His lawyer says tests show the shirt's finish was highly flammable (but he refused to release the findings to the Advance). And the Advance points out:

Most clothing will burn and can be ignited by a flame or heat source...Under the Code of Federal Regulations, clothing cannot be marketed if it is so highly flammable as to be dangerous when worn. Clothing does not meet federal standards if it ignites too quickly or burns too rapidly.

It should take more than a second to ignite and 3.5 seconds or more for a flame to spread on a plain-surface garment, according to the code.

Macy's said it could not comment on pending litigation.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on May 22, 2008 3:45 PM

Comments [rss]

nik13

What a load of manure. Cotton burns, or rather smolders, BUT does not ignite like tinder. Unless Lederman spilled a beverage on it.

I bet this greedy clown wore demonstrably flammable polyester in early '70s.

Barbj8

I hope he has learned his lesson and only smokes while naked. Asshole.

sonyactivision

A smoker who lights his ciggies off the stove, in Staten Island, is just tempting fate. His shirt isn't what's defective here.

Snoopy

Please no anti-semitic remarks here just because Joel Lederman is ......

The guy should have bought an off the rack nomex shirt if he smoked near his stove.

If his shirt was so flammable how was there anything left of the shirt to test if it was flammable or not? What was the finish, light blue napalm?

jaja007

everyone that buys cheap shirts should be set alight once in a while..

amsci

Orange juice raped my father.

zodak

sue Macy's because it sold a dangerous shirt.

i'm glad he's suing macy's.

i once bought a shirt there & that night it punched me in the gut & took my wallet.

amsci

You'd have to be flaming wearing a shirt like that.

Guest

That is one HOT shirt!

ed_Extinct

darwin award!

amsci

I hope they this man wins so this sets a legal precident.

I had just finished framing my new home and was celebrating with a nice bbq (right where the kitchen would be, natch LOLz), when the whole thing burned to the ground! Home Depot really needs to examine its conscience, selling flammable wood like that. Think of the children!

(For your health!)