Samsung Range Recall Lawsuit Alleges Defective Burner Knobs Caused More Than $800,000 in Property Damage

Lawsuit alleges Samsung knew range knobs could turn on accidentally, yet continued advertising that pressure was required to activate them.

A Washington man has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging that incidental contact activated a burner on a recalled Samsung electric range, sparking a fire that destroyed much of his home.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Justin Hall and Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Company in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on September 25, naming Samsung Electronics America Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Inc. as defendants.

Hall claims Samsung marketing indicated the knobs on its electric range could not turn on without pressure, yet the company knew of similar accidental activations.

Samsung Range Recall

Electric ranges rely on electrically powered heating elements on the cooktop and inside the oven to provide heat for cooking and baking. Many newer models place burner controls on the front of the appliance, allowing users to adjust temperatures without reaching over hot surfaces.

However, lawsuits and recalls have raised concerns that some front-mounted knobs can be unintentionally activated through incidental contact, potentially turning on a burner while the range is unattended.

In August 2024, a recall was issued for at least 1.1 million Samsung electric ranges after more than 300 reports of unintentional knob activations caused 250 fires, 40 injuries and seven pet deaths. The Samsung model in Hall’s home was allegedly among those recalled in that action.

Samsung Range Knob Defect Allegations

According to the complaint, Hall purchased the Samsung electric range from Lowes in June 2023. On September 27, 2024, a fire occurred in his home in Bellingham, Washington.

At the time of the fire, Hall indicates he was not using the range or cooking, but was installing a dishwasher in his kitchen. He says that he placed a fan on top of the range and left the house to pick up his daughter from school. When he returned, Hall says he found his home on fire, resulting in extensive property damage.

The cause of the fire was determined to be the Samsung range turning on and melting the plastic base of the fan, which spread into a house fire. The complaint alleges Hall made accidental contact with the control knobs on the range before leaving the house. This incidental contact with the knob allegedly caused one or more of the range burners to turn on, remain on, reach cooking temperatures and ignite the plastic on the fan.

According to Hall, the fire spread quickly and caused extensive damage and destruction to his home and personal property, for which he filed a claim with Garrison Property and Casualty in excess of $772,000. Hall also claims to have incurred damages that were not covered by Garrison of more than $60,000.

The lawsuit states the Samsung knobs are meant to have a two-step push and turn activation to ignite the burners. However, the alleged defect allows the heating elements to be turned on by incidental contact with the knob, without the two-step process.

Hall claims the prior Samsung recall indicates the company knew of the knob defect since at least 2013, when it was notified of similar incidents of range knobs turning on with accidental pressure. However, the Samsung website continues to advertise allegedly false claims that the “knobs will not turn on unless force is being applied to push it inwards.”

“As a result, the front-mounted control knobs on the Subject Range were prone to inadvertent activation by casual, incidental contact by persons or objects under foreseeable circumstances, including incidental contact during ordinary household activity such as the installation of an adjacent appliance. But for the Knob Defect, incidental contact with the control would not have energized the heating element, and the Subject Fire would not have occurred.”
— Justin Hall v. Samsung Electronics America Inc. et al.

The lawsuit raises allegations of product liability, design defect, failure to warn and construction defect. It seeks compensation for property damages and personal property damages paid out by Garrison and incurred separately by Hall.

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