A Michigan insurance company is pursuing nearly $940,000 from Samsung and Best Buy after a recalled electric stove allegedly caused a house fire in Ohio. Auto-Owners Mutual Insurance Company filed a lawsuit on January 28, 2026, in a federal court in Cleveland. The claim concerns a Samsung Electric Slide-In Range that reportedly turned on by itself and started a fire at a home in Medina, Ohio, in February 2024.
The insurer is acting on behalf of its policyholders, James and Sherri Adkins, seeking to recover the $939,023 it paid out after the fire damage. The case has not been resolved.
According to court papers, Mrs. Adkins had briefly stopped at her house on February 5, 2024. She set her coat and bags near the stove before leaving to pick up her son. When she came back, she found the home filled with heavy smoke. Sadly, their family dog did not survive the fire.
Fire investigators found that Mrs. Adkins accidentally activated a burner knob. The suit claims the stove’s front-mounted knobs are so sensitive that even light touches can turn them on. Samsung reportedly has been aware of this design problem for over ten years.
Six months after the fire at the Adkins’ home, Samsung recalled more than 1.12 million electric slide-in ranges. The Consumer Product Safety Commission highlighted that the knobs could be triggered by people or pets accidentally, creating a fire risk. Documents show Samsung had received over 300 reports about the knobs activating unintentionally since 2013. These incidents led to more than 250 fires and at least 40 injuries.
A big part of the lawsuit is about timing. The insurance company alleges Samsung kept this information quiet for years and kept selling dangerous stoves. Best Buy, where the Adkins bought the range from its Akron, Ohio store, is also named in the suit. The insurer says Best Buy had access to customer reviews, returns, and complaints that should have raised concerns.
Both Samsung and Best Buy are accused of failing to report these safety issues to the Consumer Product Safety Commission as required by federal law. The insurance company argues this allowed dangerous appliances to stay in people’s homes longer than they should have.
The lawsuit includes claims under Ohio’s Products Liability Act, breach of implied warranty, and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Auto-Owners Mutual Insurance Company has asked for a jury trial.
This situation highlights the challenges insurers face when dealing with claims involving recalled products, especially when the recall happens after damage has already occurred. It also raises questions about the responsibilities retailers have when they know their products might be unsafe.
The case is still ongoing in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.