A Secane homeowner and his insurance company have filed a lawsuit in Delaware County Common Pleas Court alleging that a pest repellent he ordered from Amazon.com caused a fire in his home, writes Nicholas Malfitano for The Pennsylvania Record.

James Marchesano of Secane and Palisades Property & Casualty Insurance Company filed the suit June 8 against Amazon.com, Inc. and John Doe Manufacturer.

Palisades was providing property insurance to Marchesano.

“Defendant Amazon is a highly sophisticated technology company that operates the world’s largest e-commerce website,” the suit states, and recommends certain products to customers. 

On Oct. 22, 2018, Marchesano bought a 6-pack of Pest Repellent directly from Amazon and plugged it into a kitchen outlet.

“On June 25, 2021, the pest repellent ignited internally and burned, causing a fire that spread from the pest repellent to the wall and ceiling of the kitchen, and ultimately throughout the subject property,” the suit stated.

Palisades paid an amount to James Marchesano in excess of the arbitration limits set by the court for damages caused by the fire. Marchesao also sustained uninsured damages as a result of the fire, the lawsuit contended.

Marchesano and Palisades are seeking damages in excess of $50,000.

Read more about this lawsuit in the Pennsylvania Record.