A family in Georgia is taking JLR to court. A new lawsuit is looking for millions in damages after a family home was destroyed in a fire. A fire the suit claims was caused by their Range Rover catching fire while parked.
It puts the blame in the case on the vehicle’s infotainment system.
Fire Destroyed Family Home On Christmas Eve
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The hits really stacked up for the Mitchell family, including their five kids aged 12-21. The fire that burned their home to the ground took place while the family was trying to sell the home. They weren’t having trouble finding a buyer — the house was under contract, with closing just 20 days away.
Not only was the house sold, but the fire happened on Christmas Eve. The blaze began on December 24, 2024, at around 11:16 in the morning. It took firefighters more than seven hours to control the blaze, but “the fire consumed the Mitchells’ home and the vast majority of its contents,” according to the complaint.
In the suit, the Mitchells claim that each family member suffered a range of physical and emotional injuries including head trauma, burns, PTSD, and more.
How is this JLR’s problem? After the fire, the plaintiffs hired an engineer to investigate. Hernan Mercado-Corujo is a mechanical engineer who performs forensic analysis to determine fire origin and cause in motor vehicles, farm equipment, ships, and more.
According to the suit, Mercado-Corujo determined that the fire started under the driver’s seat of the 2017 Range Rover, in a part called the Infotainment Master Controller. The IMC controls the infotainment system, including navigation and touchscreen features.
Is This Infotainment System A Huge Problem?
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In the complaint, Mercado-Corujo said that a malfunctioning component in the IMC caused it to overheat, which started the fire. It then spread rapidly, engulfing the vehicle and the home.
The IMC remains powered on at all times to support quicker load times and connected services. Because of that and the failed part, the plaintiffs claim that the IMC was “unsafe for its intended and reasonably foreseeable use.”
There are currently eight recalls for the 2017 Range Rover, though none involve the components alleged to be the cause of the fire. In the suit, the Mitchells claim that there were no open recalls on the vehicle.
CarBuzz searched NHTSA complaint records for the 2017 Range Rover but could not find any involving the IMC or a fire attributed to that area.
The family is seeking damages for the loss of the property and personal items as well as existing and future medical care. It is also looking for punitive damages “in an amount sufficient to punish defendants for their willful, wanton, or consciously indifferent conduct.”
In the suit, the plaintiffs also claim that JLR and other defendants “have acted in bad faith, have been stubbornly litigious, and have caused Plaintiffs unnecessary trouble and expense.”
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
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Vehicle fires are serious, and have led to huge recalls from multiple automakers in the past. Always-on electronics have been common on new vehicles for years without signs of serious problems. This litigation will likely take a long time to make its way through the court system.
CarBuzz has reached out to JLR for comment, though automakers generally do not comment on ongoing cases.
H/T: Aboutlawsuits
