Major US insurer
Allstate has gone to a federal court to take action against appliance maker Electrolux on allegations that it was aware that it put defective dryers in the market.
Allstate alleged in its complaint that Electrolux knew that the ball hitch dryers it made between 2002 and 2011 had factory defects and failed to warn regulators of the potential risk its use entailed.
Local media outlet NBC Chicago said the manufacturer responded by trying to break up the claims, stating that the only common factor among the payouts was the model of the dryer.
The NBC report explained that consumers said that the fire usually starts when lint gets trapped in an inaccessible part of the dryer.
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Allstate is suing for $3.6 million in damages, which it says is what it paid out to 44 Illinois policyholders who suffered property damage because of the appliances.
Authorities have not issued a product recall but the Consumer Product Safety Commission is reviewing the incidents linked to the dryers, the report outlined.
Electrolux maintains its dryers are not defective.
The appliance manufacturer faced a similar quandary in 2014 and agreed to an $8 million settlement with complainants who filed a class action suit over incidents involving its portfolio of brands, including Frigidaire, Kenmore, Tappan, White Westinghouse, Kelvinator, Gibson and Crosley. Electrolux did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
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