Ricki Lake sued for fire damage

Ricki Lake had a bad fire at her Malibu house in the fall of 2010. The rent on this property was $20,000 per month and fortunately it was only the building that was damaged. Nobody was hurt.

The legal follow-up is causing some pain now. The landlord for the property says that Lake was negligent when she failed to fill the portable space heater properly. On June 6 2011 there has been a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court for unspecified damages.

Oil is used to fill this space heater and it was spilled onto the hot heating coils. This caused a fire to start very quickly and caused significant damage inside the property. Lake was not able to extinguish the fire.

If Lake had tenant insurance, and it would seem logical to assume that she did, then the claim will be addressed under that property insurance policy. Accidental and unintentional damage resulting from fire is likely to be considered a valid claim. The question is, did the insurer question if there was auxiliary heat sources such as oil-fueled portable space heaters being used in the home?

Turners Tips always recommends that you take control of your insurance. Whether it is your tenant, homeowner, condo, auto or business insurance - you need to know the limits of your coverage. Talk to your agent or broker.

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