Case Background

State Farm filed a lawsuit against Techtronic Industries North America, Inc., Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., and Does 1–20 after a house fire allegedly caused by a defective charger. The fire occurred at a property insured by State Farm. The malfunctioning charger, sold by the defendants, triggered the incident and caused extensive damage. State Farm paid over $1.18 million to repair and replace affected structures and belongings. The case focuses on the charger’s unsafe condition when it entered the market.

Cause

Plaintiffs alleged that the charger contained manufacturing and design defects, rendering it unsafe even when used as intended. They claimed the product left the defendants’ control in a dangerous state and lacked adequate warnings or instructions. The defendants, who marketed the product with apparent technical expertise, were accused of ignoring or failing to act on known risks. This alleged negligence and failure to warn directly led to the fire.

Injury

The fire caused severe damage to the home and destroyed personal property. The insureds suffered si