State Farm sues, seeks reimbursement over vehicle fire

An insurance company is suing a car dealership and repair shop in an attempt to recoup money it paid out for damage caused by a vehicle fire.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., as subrogee of Robert Kettell, filed a lawsuit March 10 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Webb Brothers LLC, doing business as Packey Webb Ford, citing negligence and breach of contract.

According to the complaint, State Farm provided automobile insurance for Kettell's 2006 Ford Pickup F350. The complaint states in the months prior to Oct. 25, 2010, Kettell took his pickup to the defendant for service and repair approximately five times because it would not start.

Kettell alleges that he was operating his pickup truck on October 25, 2010,when it caught fire. He claims the defendant negligently failed to prepare the vehicle for normal use, returned the vehicle with an unreasonably dangerous condition and permitted the vehicle to be serviced in such a manner that allowed the fire.

State Farm is seeking $35,607.25 in damages, plus costs, and is being represented in the case by Gregory Oltman of Oltman Law Group P.C.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L002878.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.