Bakery employee sues oven manufacturer over burns, alleges faulty design

An employee of a bakery supplier is suing the manufacturer of an industrial baking oven, claiming she burned herself while cleaning its product.

Christopher Negrete filed a lawsuit May 15 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Auto-Bake Americas LLC, citing negligence.

According to the suit, the defendant sold an industrial oven system to Negrete's employer, Dawn Foods in Manteno, on May 16, 2012. He claims he was cleaning a pan washer on the oven system when a door unexpectedly opened, spilling and splashing dangerous chemicals on his body, resulting in burns.

The suit alleges the defendant failed to inspect the oven system before selling it and negligently manufactured and designed the system.

Negrete is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 and court costs. He is being represented in the case by Chicago attorneys Timothy P. Rhatigan and Daniel J. Biederman Jr. of Rhatigan Law Offices LLC.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L005234.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Cook County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.