Lawsuit claims hoverboard led to fire death

The family of an elderly woman killed in a Dormont house fire two years ago claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday that a hoverboard they purchased overheated while charging and caused the blaze.

Edward and Tamara Ruggieri filed the complaint on behalf of their family and as the administrators for the estate of Harriet Stacey, who was killed in the early morning fire on Oct. 14, 2017.

The lawsuit includes claims for negligence, liability, breach of implied warranty and wrongful death. It names as defendants TMD Holdings on Melwood Avenue in Oakland and Cowboy Wholesale Corp. in New York City.

Messages left with both companies late Thursday were not immediately returned.

According to the complaint filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, the family purchased two hoverboards from Ninja Electronics on South Braddock Avenue on Dec. 24, 2015. One was later returned in January 2016 and replaced.

The lawsuit alleges that about 3:30 a.m. Oct. 14, 2017, a charging hoverboard burst into flames, starting a fire in the family’s ground-floor living room in their Peermont Avenue home.

Mr. Ruggieri was awakened by the screaming of Ms. Stacey, 88, who was in her bedroom on the ground floor.

When he went downstairs, the complaint said, he found hot black smoke billowing up the steps.

He could not save Ms. Stacey, who was Ms. Ruggieri’s aunt.

Both Mr. Ruggieri and his son, Ethan Ruggieri, were injured.

The lawsuit alleges that the hoverboard was defective and prone to overcharge or overheat while plugged in.