Family says grandfather was ‘boiled alive’ by hotel shower in CA. They’re suing
A California family is suing Marriott International over the death of their loved one, Terril Wade Johnson Sr., saying the 72-year-old died inside his hotel shower from “dangerously hot water” reaching up to nearly 140 degrees.
Johnson, a husband, grandfather and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, traveled with his family to see his granddaughter graduate from San Jose State University in May, when he stayed at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites San Jose Airport in San Jose, the wrongful death lawsuit says.
There, he died of “severe scalding burns,” as later determined by a medical examiner, after he went to take a shower in his hotel room May 22, according to a complaint filed Oct. 15 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
“Within minutes, his family found him unresponsive, partially submerged in water so dangerously hot that they could not touch him without burning themselves,” the complaint says. “As they struggled desperately to save him, they were forced to watch in horror as his skin peeled away from his body.”
Johnson was “effectively boiled alive in what should have been the safety of his hotel room,” the complaint says.
Terril Johnson’s wife of more than 54 years, Linda Johnson, of Los Angeles, his son, daughter-in-law, grandson and three granddaughters are suing on claims of negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit was first reported by The Mercury News.
His son, Terril Johnson II, told the newspaper that he died the night before his granddaughter’s graduation ceremony, which he was “ecstatic” to see.
“I have dreams that my dad really didn’t die, that he was just burned really bad,” Terril Johnson II told The Mercury News. “I visit him in the hospital, and he’s all covered in gauze.”
Marriott International did not immediately return McClatchy News’ request for comment Oct. 27.
According to the lawsuit, the water coming from Terril Johnson’s shower was much hotter than the legally allowed, maximum temperature of 120 degrees. His shower water was measured at 134 to 136 degrees, the complaint says.
A six-second exposure to 140-degree water is known to cause third-degree burns to adults, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. Thirty seconds of exposure to 130-degree water will also cause third-degree burns.
Terril Johnson’s grandson, Deshun Johnson, was the first to find him unresponsive in the shower, the complaint says.
When other family members arrived to help, they pulled him out from the tub and continuously tried to resuscitate him, according to the complaint.
In the process, “They were horrified to observe that his skin was sloughing off due to the severity of the burns,” the family’s attorneys wrote in the filing.
Terril Johnson was ultimately pronounced dead by first responders, according to the complaint.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office found 33.5% of his body surface area was burned and listed the manner of his death as an accident, the complaint says.
The lawsuit, however, argues “This was not a freak accident; it was the direct result of Defendants’ gross negligence and failure to meet even basic safety obligations.”
Following the medical examiner’s determination that Terril Johnson’s cause of death was severe scalding burns, the family had a private pathologist perform an autopsy, the complaint says.
The pathologist agreed with the medical examiner’s ruling, according to the filing.
The family contends that the hotel knew, or should have known, that the property’s water heating system was dangerous and defective, accusing management of failing to inspect and maintain the temperatures.
With his death, his loved ones have lost his “love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, and moral support,” the complaint says.
Terril Johnson was a Vietnam War veteran, according to the lawsuit. He honorably served in the war until 1969, when he was discharged.
After the war, he married Linda Johnson, who was his high school sweetheart, in Indiana, where he was born in Fort Wayne. In 1984, the couple moved to California.
In 2024, Terril Johnson retired as a senior lead technician with the Los Angeles Metro Transit Authority, following a 23-year career with the agency.
“Terril was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, remembered for his faith, work ethic, mentorship, and commitment to family and community,” the complaint says.
His family is seeking an unspecified amount in damages and to recover expenses for Terril Johnson’s funeral, burial and “related expenses.”
They demand a jury trial.
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 12:37 PM.
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