Relatives of a man killed at his leased Van Nuys home in 2021, allegedly because a defect in a stove bought by the landlord caused it to explode and kill the tenant, lost a round in court when a judge ruled the family members were not entitled to punitive damages from the home's owner.
The Van Nuys Superior Court lawsuit stems from the death of Michael Stephen Sexton, who allegedly was trying to ignite a range when a gas leak caused and/or contributed to by defective component parts was followed by a fire and explosion that killed the 73-year-old man on Feb. 5, 2021.
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The plaintiffs are Ryan Stephen Beltz and Rachael Marie Beltz, the son and daughter of the decedent. On Tuesday, Judge Eric Harmon granted a motion by attorneys for their father's former landlord, Ron Conover, to strike their claim for punitive damages.
The plaintiffs maintain Conover did not install fire, smoke, gas and carbon monoxide detectors and shutoff mechanisms that could have prevented Sexton's death. But according to the judge, the plaintiffs' make no allegation that Conover intended to cause their father's death or that the landlord "consciously disregarded" the decedent's safety.
Instead, the lawsuit alleges that Conovder installed the gas range without conducting an inspection of defects, according to Harmon.
The plaintiffs' suit includes a color photo of the heavily damaged home on Murrieta Avenue. They also are suing Electrolux, the stove's manufacturer. The company in turn filed a cross-complaint Sept. 18 against SoCal Gas and Conover. Electrolux attorneys state that if their client is found liable to any party, the company is entitled to compensation from SoCal Gas and Conover.
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