Mother’s Tragic Death in Arby’s Freezer Exposes Alleged Gross Negligence: Lawsuit

In a shocking and tragic incident, a woman who was working as a general manager at an Arby’s restaurant in New Iberia, Louisiana, lost her life after becoming trapped in a walk-in Arby’s freezer.

A woman who died in an Arby’s freezer “beat her hands bloody” trying to escape,” according to a lawsuit filed by her children. (Photo: Yahoo)

Children of Mother Who Died in Arby’s Freezer Files Lawsuit

According to a lawsuit filed by the children of Nguyet Le, 63, who died after being trapped in a walk-in freezer, she desperately fought to escape in Arby’s Freezer, resulting in her hands being beaten bloody.

The lawsuit accuses the restaurant and its parent companies of gross negligence and seeks over $1 million in damages, People reported.

Nguyet Le was on an extended temporary assignment at Arby’s restaurant, which is owned by Turbo Restaurants, a franchise management company under Sun Holdings. The unfortunate incident occurred when Le was dropped off at the location to open the restaurant before the arrival of other employees.

It was during this time that she became trapped inside the walk-in Arby’s freezer.

The lawsuit, reported by  CBS News, states that when Le’s son, Nguyen, arrived for his shift on May 11, he tragically discovered his mother’s lifeless body in Arby’s freezer.

The investigating officer noted that the inside of the freezer door was bloodied, leading to the conclusion that Nguyet Le had panicked upon being locked inside and had desperately tried to escape or get someone’s attention. Eventually, she collapsed into a fetal position on the frozen floor, unable to survive the extreme cold.

According to the lawsuit, the company policy requires the freezer to be kept at a minimum temperature of -10 degrees or colder. Preliminary reports suggest that the cause of Nguyet Le’s death was hypothermia, although the exact cause has yet to be officially determined.

The lawsuit claims that the regional manager of the restaurant was aware of a broken latch on the freezer door. The broken latch had created an extremely dangerous condition, and Turbo Restaurants had allegedly been aware of this since at least August 2022.

However, the company failed to repair the latch for nearly nine months, displaying conscious indifference to the safety of its employees. The lawsuit holds the company accountable for Nguyet Le’s death, stating that their negligence was the direct cause of the tragic incident.

According to the lawsuit, employees had resorted to using a screwdriver to open and close the freezer door, as well as a box of oil to prop it open. These makeshift solutions highlight the dangerous nature of the broken latch and the employees’ attempts to address the issue.

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Family of Mother Who Died in Arby’s Freezer Seek Justice

Nguyet Le, a widow, and mother of four children, including Nguyen, who lived with her due to his disability, is deeply mourned by her family. They are seeking justice through legal action against Turbo Restaurants, Sun Holdings, and Inspire Brands, the parent company of Arby’s.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial and over $1 million in damages, including compensation for wrongful death, loss of consortium, mental anguish, conscious pain and suffering, loss of support, and loss of love and affection.

As the investigation into the incident continues, Sun Holdings and Arby’s parent company Inspire Brands have yet to provide comment. However, Arby’s spokesperson conveyed their awareness of the tragic incident and assured that the franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities.

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