LANCASTER – A woman recently initiated legal action against a pair of residential building products manufacturers, claiming their defective dehumidifier caused her damages in excess of $50,000 in a property fire.
Ethel Walls of Lititz filed suit on Jan. 30 in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas, against Soleus International, Inc. and Gree USA, Inc. both of City of Industry, Calif.
“On Dec. 17, 2015, a fire occurred at the property owned by Walls. The fire was caused by a failure of the thermal protection assembly of the dehumidifier designed, manufactured, assembled, distributed and/or sold by defendants. The dehumidifier failed during its normal course of use, causing the fire of Dec. 17, 2015 at the Walls property,” the lawsuit says.
“As a direct and proximate result of the fire, Walls sustained fire damages to the dwelling, personal property and other fire-related expenses in excess of $57,028.48,” the lawsuit adds.
The plaintiff says the defendants’ negligence, defective design in manufacturing the dehumidifier, breach of warranty and strict liability to warn customers of the hazards associated with the device are directly responsible for the fire-related damages the dehumidifier allegedly caused.
For counts of negligence, defective design and manufacture, breach of warranty and strict liability, the plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of $57,028.48, plus interest, costs and other relief.
The plaintiff is represented by Jesse M. Cohen and D. Alexander Latanision of Sacks Weston Diamond, in Philadelphia.
Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas case CI-17-00724
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com