Court: United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Teresa Elward v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc., Case No.: 15-cv-09882
WBE represents the Plaintiff in this case who, like thousands of consumers, owned and used residential dishwashers sold under the Frigidaire or Electrolux brand name. Certain models of these dishwashers are alleged to be dangerously defective in that the electrical system overheats and catches on fire, burning holes through the dishwasher, causing flooding, or engulfing the entire dishwasher and surrounding area in flames. Typically, dishwashers use a heating element—a wire coil that converts electrical energy passing through it into heat—to heat the wash solution and to dry the dishes. This heating element is mounted at the bottom of the dishwasher tub and is held in place by metal brackets. The complaint alleges that Electrolux dishwashers are defective because individual components in the electrical system overheat and, in some cases, fail catastrophically. Overheating may also cause the heating element to warp or sag, causing it to burn through the bottom of the dishwasher, causing significant flooding while the dishwasher is operating.