$100M Lawsuit Sons Death
A Michigan family is pursuing a $100 million lawsuit after their 5-year-old son, Thomas Cooper, was killed in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber explosion at a Troy medical facility. The civil case, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court, accuses the chamber manufacturer, facility operators, and multiple employees of gross negligence, reckless disregard for safety, and wrongful death.
The Tragic Incident
On January 31, 2025, Thomas Cooper was undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy at The Oxford Center in Troy to treat sleep apnea and ADHD. During the session, the chamber erupted in flames and exploded. Thomas died almost instantly, while his mother—present in the room—suffered severe burns as she tried to rescue him. Investigators later revealed numerous safety failures, including expired equipment, missing fire suppression systems, no annual inspections, and the absence of a licensed technician during the procedure.
Defendants and Criminal Charges
The lawsuit names several defendants: Sechrist Industries (the chamber manufacturer), The Oxford Center, Oxford Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center LLC, the Oxford Kids Foundation, property owner Office Ventures Troy LLC, and individual executives and staff. Among those named personally are CEO Tamela Peterson, safety director Jeffrey Mosteller, operations director Gary Marken, and chamber operator Aleta Moffitt. Separate criminal cases are also moving forward. Peterson, Marken, and Mosteller face second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges, while Moffitt has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records. All four have pleaded not guilty.
Civil Allegations
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed at every level of responsibility:
Negligence and foreseeability: The complaint argues the disaster was “foreseeable and inevitable” due to ignored safety standards.
Product liability: Sechrist Industries is accused of manufacturing a dangerously flawed chamber without adequate fire suppression or automatic emergency systems.
Lack of warnings: The suit claims there were no proper posted or verbal warnings about ignition risks or safety restrictions.
Unqualified staffing: The center allegedly operated with personnel who were not licensed or adequately trained, with no physician or qualified safety officer present.
Regulatory Red Flags
The FDA only authorizes hyperbaric oxygen therapy for limited conditions such as decompression sickness and chronic wounds. Thomas was being treated for conditions not approved by the FDA—sleep apnea and ADHD. Additionally, the Oxford facility was not accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), an organization that sets safety benchmarks for hyperbaric treatment. The chamber itself was reportedly beyond its service life and missing required maintenance checks.
What’s at Stake
The lawsuit seeks more than $100 million in damages, while criminal trials could bring severe prison sentences if convictions are secured. Beyond financial compensation, the case could reshape how hyperbaric therapy clinics are regulated nationwide. Families and medical experts hope the case will push for mandatory accreditation, stricter oversight, and more robust manufacturer accountability.
Broader Questions
The case raises larger issues for both medicine and regulation: Why are unapproved uses of hyperbaric therapy so widespread? How did the facility continue operating without accreditation or inspections? And what responsibility lies with manufacturers when safety technology is either outdated or not installed? The death of Thomas Cooper has forced regulators, manufacturers, and healthcare providers to confront these questions. The outcome of this lawsuit may determine whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy remains a largely unregulated industry—or becomes subject to far tighter oversight.
