Family Files $50 Million Lawsuit After Doctor Found Dead In Freezer
The family of Dr. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, a 32-year-old anesthesiologist found dead in a walk-in freezer at a Florida Dollar Tree last year, has filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the discount retail chain. The civil complaint, filed in Miami-Dade County, accuses the corporation and a store manager of negligence, alleging they failed to adhere to safety protocols that could have prevented the fatal incident.
According to court documents, Garay Sanchez entered the store in Little Havana, Miami, shortly before closing time on December 13. The lawsuit claims that while the doctor remained inside the building, the store manager was notified that a customer was missing but failed to take reasonable action. The plaintiffs allege the manager specifically refused to check surveillance footage to locate her and instructed other employees not to review the video. Garay Sanchez’s body was discovered the following morning in the freezer; investigators reported she was found naked, a condition likely attributed to paradoxical undressing caused by severe hypothermia.
While the family argues the store failed to secure the restricted stockroom and that the freezer lacked a functioning safety release, police reports from the initial investigation noted the door had an emergency latch and foul play was not suspected. Dollar Tree has not issued a statement regarding the active litigation but previously described the death as a “tragic incident” and confirmed cooperation with local authorities. Garay Sanchez, who specialized in congenital heart disease, was a mother of two visiting from Nicaragua at the time of her death.
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