Travelers paid more than $900,000 on a house fire, then sued the makers of the mini-fridge it blames for the blaze.
The insurer filed suit on September 2, 2026, in the US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, aiming to recover the $909,456.23 it paid on the claim. Travelers is suing as subrogee - it covered its policyholder's loss and can now pursue whoever it says caused it.
According to the complaint, the policyholder bought a Frigidaire 6-Can Mini Retro Beverage Fridge around November 23, 2023. On or about June 16, 2024, the filing says, a fire started at the mini-fridge and spread through the property. The complaint says post-fire analysis traced the cause to an internal electrical failure - a short circuit that ignited the plastic housing and then nearby materials.
The suit names Electrolux Consumer Products, Inc., Electrolux North America, Inc. and Curtis International, Ltd, a Canadian company the complaint says designed, made and distributed the unit.
Travelers points to a recall to back its case. The filing says Curtis recalled the Frigidaire 6-Can Retro Mini Fridge on July 24, 2025, over internal electrical parts that can short circuit and ignite the housing, and expanded that recall on January 15, 2026.
The complaint brings six counts - negligence, failure to warn and breach of warranty against the two Electrolux companies, and the same three against Curtis. It alleges the appliance was defective, that the makers gave no adequate warning of the fire risk, and that the fridge broke warranties promising it was safe and fit for ordinary use.
Travelers is asking for a judgment of $909,456.23, plus interest and costs. The case is in federal court because the companies are based in different states and abroad, and the amount at stake tops $75,000.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and no judge has ruled on the claims.
