Photo: Elena Popova / Moment / Getty Images
VAN NUYS (CNS) - Electrolux Home Products Inc. has filed a cross- complaint against Southern California Gas Co. for indemnity in a case in which relatives of a man killed at his leased Van Nuys home in 2021 allege a defect in a stove bought by the landlord caused it to explode and kill the tenant.
The underlying Van Nuys Superior Court lawsuit stems from the death of Michael Stephen Sexton, who allegedly was trying to ignite a range when a gas leak caused and/or contributed to by defective component parts was followed by a fire and explosion that killed the 73-year-old man on Feb. 5, 2021.
The plaintiffs are Ryan Stephen Beltz and Rachael Marie Beltz, the son and daughter of the decedent. Their suit includes a color photo of the heavily damaged home on Murrieta Avenue.
On Sept. 18, Electrolux filed a cross-complaint against SoCal Gas and the landlord, Ron Conover, who also is a co-defendant in the original case. While denying liability, Electrolux attorneys state that if their client is found liable to any party, the company is entitled to compensation from SoCalGas and Conover.
The plaintiffs maintain Conover did not install fire, smoke, gas and carbon monoxide detectors and shutoff mechanisms that could have prevented Sexton's death. But in court papers filed Sept. 21, Conover's attorneys maintain the plaintiffs' claim for punitive damages against him should be stricken.