COOK COUNTY RECORD

An insurance company is suing a research company it claims designed a power strip that ultimately caused a fire.

American Family Insurance Co., as subrogee of Fred Zicarelli, filed suit July 31 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Coral Reef Research Inc.

According to the complaint, American Family Insurance provided coverage to Zicarelli, who was living on Jarvis Avenue in Des Plaines, when his home caught on fire Oct. 7, 2011. The fire started from a defective power strip that was manufactured by Coral Reef Research, the suit alleges.

Due to the fire, American Family claims it paid Zicarelli $35,732.17.

American Family blames Coral Reef for contributing to the fire, saying it negligently designed the power strip, improperly tested it to ensure it was safe for consumer use, negligently manufactured the device so that all its parts were working properly and failed to warn of the dangers associated with the product.

The insurance company seeks a repayment of the costs it incurred. It is represented by C. Bradley Krapfl of Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number 2014L007992.

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