PITTSBURGH – An insurance company alleges a defective oven installed by a New York company at a Pittsburgh location caused a fire and nearly $100,000 in damages.
Erie Insurance Exchange, as subrogee of La Gourmandine LLC filed a complaint on March 9 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County against Empire Bakery Equipment Inc. alleging breach of contract, negligence and other counts.
According to the complaint, La Gourmandine entered into a contract with the defendant for the purchase and installation of an oven at its Pittsburgh property. The suit states the oven was delivered in October 2016 and it was turned on for the first time on Dec. 29, 2016, to clean and cure it.
The suit states during the early hours of the next day, a fire started at the La Gourmandine property and the property was damaged by fire, smoke and water. The suit states the fire was started by a defect in the oven and the plaintiff paid a claim to La Gourmandine according to their policy.
The plaintiff holds Empire Bakery Equipment Inc. responsible because the defendant allegedly breached its contractual agreement with La Gourmandine by failing to properly install the oven and by installing an oven that was unfit for its intended purpose.
The plaintiff seeks judgment against the defendant in the amount of $99,010 plus court costs, interest and any further relief the court grants. It is represented by Dennis J. Geis Jr., Stephen P. Plonski and Kathleen T. Plumer of Margolis Edelstein in Pittsburgh.
Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County case number GD-18-003374