On April 25, 2024, a lawsuit was filed by plaintiff Odysee Thomas against defendants Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell, Inc. in the District Court of Harris County, Texas under case ID 2024-26736. The lawsuit pertains to an incident involving a defective laptop that allegedly caused a residential fire.
The plaintiff, Odysee Thomas, is represented by Jarod Stinup. The incident occurred on April 27 at the plaintiff's residence located at 15722 Coz Court, Houston, Harris County, Texas 77049. According to the Harris County Fire Marshall’s Office, the ignition source of the fire was two sockets and a Dell laptop. The damages incurred are estimated to be less than $250,000 excluding interest, statutory or punitive damages and penalties, attorney fees and costs.
The lawsuit alleges that the laptop was defective and unsafe for its intended purposes at the time it left the control of Defendants and at the time it was sold. The plaintiff accuses Dell of negligence in several respects including failing to have components attached to prevent overheating and failure to inspect or maintain said laptop among others.
Thomas is seeking monetary relief for damages caused by the fire attributed to the alleged faulty laptop manufactured by Dell Technologies and Dell Inc., invoking strict liability doctrine due to alleged design defects in the product.