Philips reaches settlement in U.S. ventilator fire case, denies liability
Philips has reached a settlement with the family of a U.S. woman who claimed a ventilator caught fire, causing her mother to suffer burns and destroying her home, ED reports. The company continues to deny any responsibility.
The case centers on a fire in a Washington home in North Carolina on the night of November 11, 2021. Sheila Washington, who suffered from sleep apnea, was using a Philips Trilogy ventilator when she reportedly woke to find her mask on fire. She survived the incident but sustained second-degree burns to her face. Flames spread from her bed and destroyed the entire home.
Sheila Washington died less than a year later from complications related to COPD, a death unrelated to the fire. Her daughter filed a lawsuit against Philips in 2024. The claim cited the ventilator’s foam insulation, which has been under scrutiny for years and is the subject of the company’s largest product recall in history. The foam can degrade, release gases, and is considered flammable. According to the daughter’s claim, this created a direct danger that caused her mother’s injuries and property loss.
The lawsuit sought damages exceeding 75,000 U.S. dollars (approximately 64,000 euros) for medical costs, the destroyed home, and emotional distress. It also requested that a jury hear all claims.
Philips stated, “There was no evidence of a product safety problem, and the device was not the cause of the fire. Philips has not accepted or acknowledged any liability. No defect or technical failure was found in any Philips product.” The company said it has evidence pointing to another cause of the fire but is restricted from disclosing details under a confidentiality agreement.
The settlement allows Philips to avoid a prolonged and potentially costly jury trial. Company representatives described the case as “a sad and complex matter” but emphasized that this is “a very unique and rare case” unlikely to trigger additional claims.
Philips has faced related U.S. legal actions before. In 2024, the company paid roughly 1 billion euros to settle claims from a large group of American users over recalled sleep apnea devices, covering injury claims that ranged from several thousand to tens of thousands of euros. In 2023, Philips settled another U.S. claim for 450 million euros related to financial damages from the same devices. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice continues civil and criminal investigations into the incidents that led to the recall.
