Overview

• The Oakland County Circuit Court suit names eight defendants, including The Oxford Center, CEO Tamela Peterson and three staffers, Sechrist Industries, Oxford Kids Foundation and property owner Office Ventures Troy I.
• The complaint alleges missing warnings and unsafe design, citing no fire suppression or automatic detection, no effective emergency extraction and a failure to alert patients to lethal fire risks.
• Attorneys say the center promoted hyperbaric treatments for conditions the FDA has not approved and that the facility was not listed as accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.
• Four former employees already face criminal charges in the case, with three charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and the chamber operator charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying records; all have pleaded not guilty.
• Recent preliminary-hearing testimony indicated a static discharge likely ignited the fire and that a patient grounding strap was not used, aligning with state claims of ignored safety measures as the hearing is set to resume in December.