Wesco Insurance Company has filed a lawsuit against an individual and two corporations over a fire that caused significant damage to a condominium property. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on January 23, 2025, naming Joel Fleishman and Electrolux Home Products, Inc., along with Electrolux North America, Inc., as defendants.
The case stems from a fire that occurred on February 5, 2024, at the Franskill Condominium I and II, located at 171-173 Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.
Wesco Insurance Company, acting as the subrogee of Franskill Condominium I and II, alleges that the fire originated from a Frigidaire brand clothes dryer owned by Fleishman. The dryer was manufactured by Electrolux Home Products and Electrolux North America.
According to the complaint, Fleishman failed to maintain the dryer properly, leading to the accumulation of roughly forty socks inside it, which created a potential catalyst for the blaze.
The insurance company argues that both Fleishman and the Electrolux entities are liable for negligence. It accuses Fleishman of failing to inspect or service the dryer adequately and neglecting signs of malfunction, such as missing socks during laundry loads.
Meanwhile, Wesco claims that Electrolux designed and distributed a defective product without adequate warnings about its potential dangers. The complaint asserts that these failures breached duties owed to consumers like Franskill Condominium I and II.
Wesco Insurance is seeking damages exceeding $241,000—the amount it paid out under its policy for property damage caused by the fire. Additionally, the company is pursuing recovery of its insured's $2,500 deductible from all defendants involved. Wesco alleges strict liability against Electrolux under Sections 402A and 402B of the Restatement (Second) of Torts due to defects in design and manufacture that rendered the dryer unreasonably dangerous.
Representing Wesco Insurance Company is attorney Robert Caplan from White and Williams LLP. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:25-cv-00408.