COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Consumers across Georgia and the nation are affected by a sweeping class-action settlement involving dishwashers that can erupt in flames.
The machines are from Whirlpool Corp. Six million of them, built between 2000 and 2006, are suspected of having faulty electronics that overheat.
Laurie Vickery of Cobb County still has the melted control panel from the dishwasher that shot flames a foot high above her counter in 2012.
"Had I not been sitting right in my family room, the damage could have been far worse," she told consumer investigator Jim Strickland.
Strickland alerted her to the settlement proposal.
"The credit for purchasing a different manufacturer's product would be between $200 and $300 if the settlement is approved," said Vickery, who is a lawyer.
Along with up to $300 for a new dishwasher, the deal provides full reimbursement for those who had repairs.
Consumers who have fires in the future get some compensation too.
The settlement does not cover property damage from fires that get out of control.
A company spokesperson emailed Strickland a statement saying:
"Whirlpool Corporation has agreed to settle a lawsuit involving allegations about certain dishwasher electronic control boards, ending a 2011 lawsuit filed in California. While Whirlpool strongly disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit, the settlement allows all parties to move forward and avoid the continued distraction and expense of litigation. Whirlpool continues to stand behind its dishwashers, which are safe, reliable, and designed and tested using our award-winning safety processes, and include multiple built-in safety features."
A federal judge in California still has to sign off on the deal. That is scheduled for Oct. 22.
WSBTV
