Whirlpool Stovetop Consumers Revive Spontaneous Ignition Suit

Consumers alleging Whirlpool Corp. stovetop burners inadvertently ignite convinced a federal appeals court to revive their consumer protection claims Wednesday.

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reinstated most of the consumers’ claims and said they had plausibly alleged Whirlpool knew about the defect. Judge Joan L. Larsen dissented and said she would have affirmed the dismissal.

The consumers said Whirlpool’s ovens with stovetop ranges had front-mounted control knobs that can unintentionally start the range with an accidental touch.

Judge R. Guy Cole Jr. said the consumers’ suit met pleading standards because they told the Consumer Product Safety ...