An Oregon woman has filed a $1 million lawsuit against Fred Meyer supermarket after a chunk of her skin was melted off while buying a rotisserie chicken. 

Angela Steffen, a registered nurse, stopped at Fred Meyer's store in Eugene, Oregon, when she accidentally touched the heated metal frame of the rotisserie chicken display. According to the filed lawsuit, she suffered from third-degree burns and infection that put her in the emergency room in September two years ago. 

'Her skin melted to the frame, essentially gluing her hand to the metal with her own skin. When she yanked her hand away, her skin was torn off leaving a visible chunk of her skin on the metal,' Liz Walling, Steffen's attorney told The Daily Mail in a statement. 

Steffen was allegedly approached by a deli worker who saw her get burned and they offered her a Band-Aid. The staffer told Steffen 'that happens to a lot of people.' 

Tiffany Sanders, Head of Public Affairs at Fred Meyer, told the Daily Mail in a statement that she couldn't comment on active litigation. 

It is unknown if other customers have been burned before on the rotisserie chicken display.

The lawsuit was filed on September 10, 2026, and claimed that Fred Meyer failed to install a barrier or guard around the 'dangerously hot metal light fixture' or provide a warning sign. 

Walling said that after being burned, Steffen bought wound-care supplies to care for her injuries. She woke up the next day in 'excruciating pain' and visited an urgent care where she was given antibiotics. 

As a few days passed, her condition worsened to the point of nauseating pain and swelling in her left hand. Walling described Steffen as 'on the verge of passing out' before her sister immediately rushed her to the emergency room. 

According to court records, Steffen endured an infection, permanent scarring, nerve damage and weakness in her left hand all from the third-degree burn. 

The lawsuit alleged that Steffen lost around $11,000 in medical expenses and lost wages for the two weeks she could not work. 

'Her job requires use of both hands in patient care,' Walling told the outlet. 

Steffen sought up to $900,000 for the pain and suffering she experienced as well as $50,000 for future medical costs. 

'The jury will get to determine what Ms. Steffen’s noneconomic damages are considering the nightmare Fred Meyer put her through for something that should have been a mundane task, picking up a rotisserie chicken for dinner on your way home from work,' Walling said. 

'We consider litigation a last resort and only file lawsuits such as these when the defendant fails to take accountability for their negligence,' she said.  

The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Thursday and Steffen has demanded a jury trial. Fred Meyer has not yet filed a formal response in court. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Walling for comment.