Whirlpool Gas Range Lawsuit Alleges Defective Stove Knobs Caused House Fire

Lawsuit claims dog unintentionally activated a stove’s burner knob, causing a fire that resulted in extensive damage to the home and a neighboring property.

A Pennsylvania woman and her neighbors have filed a lawsuit against Whirlpool, alleging a defectively designed Maytag stove allowed its front mounted burner knobs to be unintentionally activated when a dog brushed against them.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Grace Matteo and Gregory and Heather Palestini in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County on June 15, and was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on July 20. It names Whirlpool Corporation, as well as several unidentified manufacturing and sales entities as defendants.

Plaintiffs claim the defective Whirlpool stove ignited a house fire that resulted in more than $225,000 in property damage.

Kitchen Range Fire Dangers

A gas range is a kitchen appliance that combines a stovetop and an oven, using natural gas or propane to generate heat for cooking and baking. Instead of electric heating elements, it relies on gas burners to heat cookware on the stovetop and in the oven.

Both gas and electric ranges have been the subject of multiple lawsuits in recent years, with plaintiffs alleging defective designs caused the appliances to unintentionally activate, resulting in fires, injuries and property damage.

In April, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed following a house fire that was allegedly caused when a defective Frigidaire stovetop unintentionally activated, resulting in a woman’s death.

The following month, another couple filed a lawsuit against Samsung, arguing that a recalled electric range unintentionally activated after a front-mounted control knob was accidentally bumped, causing $500,000 in property damage.

Whirlpool Gas Range Fire Allegations

According to this recent complaint, Grace Matteo’s dog jumped, bumped or otherwise made inadvertent contact with her home’s range on November 18, 2024, allegedly activating the heated surface and igniting combustibles near the appliance while Ms. Matteo was away from home. 

The resulting fire caused property damage exceeding $200,000 to Ms. Matteo’s home and an additional $25,000 in damage to the neighboring property of Mr. and Mrs. Palestini.

An investigation conducted after the incident revealed the damage was directly caused by a malfunction or defect that allowed the burner control knobs to inadvertently turn to the “on” position and ignite a fire.

The front knobs on the range were designed to activate the stovetop burners when pushed inward and rotated to the “on” position. However, plaintiffs allege the minimal force required to push the knobs inward and the short distance needed to rotate them made the range susceptible to unintended activation through a single continuous motion.

The lawsuit claims the range lacked safety features to prevent accidental activation and the oven door handle did not provide an effective barrier between users and the controls, making the product unsafe. The plaintiffs allege features such as control locks, a keypad or a light indicator could have reduced the risk of unintended activation.

“As outlined above, due to a manufacturing defect, the subject range was able to be turned to the ‘on’ position by a single continuous motion, rather than the two deliberate motions required, rendering it defective, hazardous, and unsafe”

— Grace Matteo et al. v. Whirlpool Corporation et al.

The lawsuit raises allegations of negligence, strict liability and breach of the implied warranty of merchantability. It seeks damages exceeding $225,000, in addition to costs, delay damages, attorney fees and any other relief the court deems just and appropriate.

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