Fontana
NEW ORLEANS - After their house suffered significant damage in a fire, an Orleans Parish couple has filed a lawsuit against the maker of their gas range, claiming that it malfunctioned and caused the fire.
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Keith Luter, and Patrice Dauzart Luter filed suit against Electrolux Home Products Inc., Motor Sales Corp., Electrolux Professional Inc. and Aerus on May 1 in Orleans Parish District Court. The defendants removed the case to federal court in New Orleans on May 30.
The accident occurred on May 2, 2011 as the Luters were using the gas range in the self-cleaning oven function. According to the lawsuit, the oven malfunctioned internally and caused a fire to ignite. The Luters home sustained significant damage in the incident.
The defendants are accused of negligence, breach of express and implied warranties for manufacturing, designing, installing, marketing and selling the defective gas range, with a defective and malfunctioning internal component.
The defendants are accused of violating Louisiana's Products Liability Act through the gas range's unreasonably dangerous construction, composition and design, for failing to conform to the manufacturer's warranty and for lack of adequate warning.
The gas range at issue is a Frigidaire gas range, model number FGFLMC55CC and was purchased from Lowe's Home Centers on Dec. 18, 2008.
On behalf of the Luters, Louisiana Citizens Property is asking the Court for an award of damages, interest, and court costs.
The plaintiffs are represented by Wayne J. Fontana and Skye S. Fantaci of Fontana & Seelman in New Orleans.
U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt is assigned to the case.
Case No. 2:12-cv-01376