Firefighters warn consumers not to leave dishwashers running over night

Local press in West Sutton has reported that a faulty dishwasher caught fire in a flat after being left on overnight.  Fortunately the owner of the dishwasher was able to tackle the blaze with a powder fire extinguisher, but the fire fighting team had to take the smouldering appliance out of the building to deal with the fire which reignited as they did so.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "We would just recommend that people do not leave their dishwashers to run overnight."

While the owner of this flat was lucky to escape from a fire that could have spread throughout the kitchen and building other consumers have not been so fortunate.  Leading consumer safety and product liability specialist solicitor Jill Paterson is currently representing a number of clients who have been affected by serious house fires, allegedly caused by faulty white goods.

She is currently acting for the family of a man who died in a fire after saving his children from the blaze.  A number of manufacturers of white goods, including dishwashers, tumble-dryers and fridge-freezers, have issued product recalls on certain models after concerns were raised about their potential to cause lethal fires, but Jill says that manufacturers have not done enough to alert consumers about the dangerous products that are still being used in houses throughout the UK.

If you have been injured in a fire which you think may have been caused by a faulty appliance, or if you have suffered damage to your house and property you may be able to bring a claim for compensation.  Please contact a member of our nationally-acclaimed product liability team by phoning on 020 7650 1219 or email Jill Paterson or Thomas Jervis for a free initial consultation.