General Motors sued over League City garage fire

GALVESTON - General Motors LLC is being sued over a fire at a League City home that occurred in June, recent court records show.

Nationwide Property & Casualty Insurance Co. filed suit on policyholder Matthew Storm's behalf Oct. 19 in Galveston County District Court, stating the alleged June 21 blaze in his garage began inside his 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche.

According to the insurer, an investigation determined that the aforementioned fire "was caused by a malfunction of the heating element in the windshield washer fluid heating system of the Chevy Avalanche."

"The heating element is the subject of a recall," the suit says.

Nationwide says Storm informed it about the loss in question for which it paid.

It additionally asserts that GM released the Avalanche into the market "in a condition not contemplated by the ultimate consumer and was unreasonably dangerous to the consumer for its intended and foreseeable use because the [Chevy] Avalanche failed to conform to the applicable design standards and specifications."

GM "knew, or should have known, about the danger and should have warned its customers... but failed to do so," the original petition says.

Consequently, Nationwide seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Attorney Amy C. Wright with the Law Office of Wiese & Wright in Irving is representing the complainant.

Galveston County 122nd District Court Judge John Ellisor is presiding over the case.

Case No. 12-cv-2300