Product Manufacturer Pays Significant Pre-Suit Settlement Following Fire Caused by 16 Year-Old Dishwasher

Stutman Law recently scored a pre-suit, six-figure recovery for a client that paid a significant insurance claim after a dishwasher malfunctioned and caused a fire at an insured’s home.  The dishwasher manufacturer initially argued that the 2005 product had exceeded its useful life, and had also been improperly altered by the insured homeowner prior to the fire.  However, Stutman Law’s aggressive and thorough investigation established that a connection on the dishwasher’s circuit board caused the malfunction and fire.  The circuit board was a manufacturer-assembled part.  Even though the insured had previously installed non-manufacturer-made replacement parts, Stutman Law was able to show that those parts played no role in causing the failure.  Following its investigation, Stutman Law resolved the case favorably and without the need for litigation.