Frigidaire Range Fire Lawsuit Claims Blaze Resulted in Woman’s Death

Complaint alleges a stove burner was unintentionally activated despite no cooking, sparking the fire that led to the woman’s untimely death.

A wrongful death lawsuit claims a 62-year-old woman died in a house fire caused by a defective Frigidaire stovetop range that allegedly turned on unintentionally.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Charles Doherty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on April 22. It was filed on behalf of his sister, Jacqueline Doherty, who died from thermal injuries and smoke inhalation after an allegedly defective Electrolux-manufactured range ignited a fire in her kitchen.

The filing names Electrolux AB, Electrolux North America Inc., and Electrolux Consumer Products Inc. as defendants.

Charles Doherty is serving as the personal representative of his sister’s estate, seeking damages for wrongful death, conscious pain and suffering and other losses. According to the complaint, the fire originated at the stove after a burner was turned on unintentionally, even though no one was using the appliance at the time.

Frigidaire Range Fire Allegations

On September 7, 2023, Jacqueline Doherty and her longtime roommate reportedly noticed smoke coming from their kitchen and discovered a fire near the stove. According to the complaint, Jacqueline was later found unresponsive and engulfed in flames on the porch of the home.

The lawsuit alleges Electrolux designed and sold Frigidaire ranges with front-mounted burner knobs that can turn on with minimal force, allowing the appliance to ignite without the user’s knowledge.

The complaint indicates that the control knobs can be activated through a single, slight motion, rather than requiring a deliberate push-and-turn action, making them susceptible to accidental contact from users, pets or nearby objects.

The design allegedly lacks safeguards to prevent unintended activation, increasing the risk of fires or the release of dangerous gases when burners are turned on without awareness.

The filing alleges Electrolux had prior knowledge of the defect based on consumer complaints submitted to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and product reviews on its own website dating back to at least 2015.

Despite these reports, the lawsuit claims the company failed to provide adequate warnings or implement effective fixes, and continued selling the ranges nationwide.

“Jacqueline Doherty was killed by a fire caused by a known defect in a Frigidaire stovetop range manufactured, marketed, and sold by Electrolux.”

— Charles Doherty v. Electrolux AB et al

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages under the Massachusetts Wrongful Death Act, alleging the manufacturers acted negligently and with reckless disregard for consumer safety by failing to correct a known defect that ultimately led to Jacqueline Doherty’s death.

Range Fire Lawsuits

This is not the first time this kind of incident has resulted in a dangerous blaze. A separate Samsung range fire lawsuit was filed earlier this month, alleging the appliance manufacturer took no action to fix its electric range knobs despite hundreds of reports of them accidentally turning on, resulting in dozens of fires and injuries.

In addition, more than 150,000 Frigidaire gas ranges were recalled earlier this year, after at least 30 reported burn injuries were attributed to the appliances.

A separate Frigidaire and Kenmore electric range recall was issued by Electrolux in 2024, after the manufacturer received at least 212 reports of the ranges turning on without being switched on, failing to turn off and heating to different temperatures than selected.

Sign up for more legal news that could affect you or your family.