Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Sues Macy's Over Flammable Shirt
By
Jen Chung
Published May 22, 2008
Modified May 22, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 22, 2008
Modified May 22, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Who do you sue when you get badly burned after lighting your cigarette with a stove's burner? Well, if you're Staten Island resident Joel Lederman, you'll sue Macy's because it sold a dangerous shirt.
The Staten Island Advance reports that Lederman filed a lawsuit against Macy's for selling a "light-blue, 100-percent cotton Club Room by Charter Club T-shirt " which had a chemical finish that "behaved as an accelerant." The lawsuit claims the shirt was "dangerous, hazardous and unsafe as manufactured."
The incident occurred four years ago; Lederman's wife found him "in trauma" and he suffered serious burns that required two surgeries and weeks at the Staten Island University Hospital's burn unit. His lawyer says tests show the shirt's finish was highly flammable (but he refused to release the findings to the Advance). And the Advance points out:
Most clothing will burn and can be ignited by a flame or heat source...Under the Code of Federal Regulations, clothing cannot be marketed if it is so highly flammable as to be dangerous when worn. Clothing does not meet federal standards if it ignites too quickly or burns too rapidly.
It should take more than a second to ignite and 3.5 seconds or more for a flame to spread on a plain-surface garment, according to the code.
Macy's said it could not comment on pending litigation.
Tagged
fire
flammable shirt
lawsuit
macy's
staten island
stove
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 4:24 p.m. ET
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
The new deck will be used to store buses and supplies while crews tear down and rebuild the Midtown bus terminal. Once the project wraps, the space will be converted into a new park.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
The new deck will be used to store buses and supplies while crews tear down and rebuild the Midtown bus terminal. Once the project wraps, the space will be converted into a new park.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
By
Mike Hayes
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
By
Stephen Nessen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .