On Tuesday, May 19, an appeals court judge in Orange County, California will decide whether to release key documents to the lawyers representing a young boy who was severely burned at the hands of a faulty Coleman heater. This decision could prove pivotal in the case, in which the victim’s attorneys are arguing that Coleman knowingly violate California law by packaging one of their heaters in a way that suggested it could be used indoors.  On December 30, 2005, Trevor Dennis and his parents were camping at the Octillo Welles Desert Recreation area in southern California. That evening, Trevor was in the camping trailer alone when the heater — a Model 5053 ProCat™ PerfectTemp™ – exploded, causing severe burns over much of Trevor’s body.

“This appears to be a case of the manufacturer using faulty design, subpar critical parts and inadequate quality control leading to the catastrophic injury of a then seven-year-old boy,” said Orange County personal injury lawyer John Bisnar, founding partner of the Bisnar/Chase law firm. 

“When the family bought the heater, it was packaged in a box showing its use in a house with a mom holding a baby on her lap,” noted Brian Chase, a parter at Bisnar/Chase. “The statute clearly states that nonvintage portable heaters cannot be sold for use indoors. On the side of the box, and on the top of the box, the copy indicated it was safe for home use.”