10News.com

Sustain San Diego
Holiday Gift Guide Button
Sustain San Diego
10 News Leadership Award
San Diego News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story

Daughters: Company's Defective Robe Caused Parents' Deaths

POSTED: 5:38 pm PDT October 29, 2009
UPDATED: 7:11 pm PDT October 29, 2009

The daughters of an Oceanside couple are suing the distributors of a chenille cotton robe that caught fire, blaming it for their deaths, 10News reported.

Susan Brent was stopping by the home of her parents, Murray and Evelyn Rogoff, last February when she said she heard her mom screaming.

"I walk into the kitchen and mom and dad are on the floor; my mom was on fire," said Brent.

Brent grabbed bottles of water on the kitchen counter and doused the flames, but her mom was already badly burned.

"She was burned from the neck, down her arms, her back," said Brent.

Evelyn Rogoff was wearing a blue chenille robe. Her husband, Murray, had bought it for her from the Blair catalogue as a Christmas gift.

The Rogoff's other daughter, Michele Putini, said, "It wasn't a gift; it was a nightmare."

Evelyn Rogoff had brushed her sleeve across a burner while brewing tea, and the robe quickly caught fire.

Putini told 10News, "It's unimaginable that something like this happened and it shouldn't have. I don't know that anger covers it; it's devastating."

Evelyn Rogoff died six weeks later of her injuries. Murray Rogoff died in July of a heart attack.

Blair has since issued a series of recalls of the robes. In April, the company recalled 162,000 chenille robes. In October, another 138,000 chenille jackets and tops were recalled.

The sisters are suing, saying Blair knew of the flamability danger earlier.

Attorney Noel Spaid told 10News, "Blair was on notice at least late 2008 -- right off their own recall history."

Brent and Putini are suing for almost $2 million in medical expenses, and are asking other unspecified damages.

Blair has refused comment on the lawsuit.

10Nes learned that nine deaths in the U.S. are being on Blair's robes catching fire.

The lawsuit isn't likely to be heard for at least a year.

To learn more about the Blair recall, click here.
The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by 10News.com. By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms of Use. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Flagging a comment will send it to our editorial staff for review.

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Don’t ruin your chances of landing that new job by making easy to correct mistakes on your cover letter. More

Don’t believe everything people tell you about home improvement. Check out the top 4 myths and stop throwing away your money. More

The signs of Cancer can sometimes be very subtle. Here's a guide to help you recognize them early. More

Living well with type-1 or type-2 diabetes can be easier than you might think. Use our diabetes resource guide. More

Sponsored Links

2009 Holidays

It's hard not to go overboard on holiday spending for the kids, the spouse or other family and friends. Here's some advice that can help you manage your money this holiday season. More
Section: Holidays

Real Estate Information