Water in Irving gasoline seized the engine of a pickup truck owned by a Bangor business, a lawsuit said.
The engine of a 2021 Dodge Ram 1,500 Big Horn turbocharged quad cab pickup truck seized within minutes of fueling on Jan. 29, 2023, according to a lawsuit filed in Penobscot County Superior Court on Nov. 5.
The lawsuit against Irving Oil and A.E. Robinson Oil Co. Inc. was filed by II Pillars, Inc., which does business as The Heating Lodge, a company that sells stoves and fireplaces. The company’s insurer is seeking recovery for the damaged pickup truck.
Irving is a Canadian company that supplies about two-thirds of Maine’s gas, diesel and heating oil. Irving and A.E Robinson knew or should have known there was a defect in the fuel but sold it anyway, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit seeks to recover the cost of the pickup, as well as any other amount the court decides.
Irving and A.E. Robinson did not respond to requests for comment.
Irving manufactured the fuel and sold it to A.E. Robinson, which has convenience and gas stores in Maine. The company then sold the fuel to II Pillars, according to the lawsuit.
By selling fuel that contained water, Irving and A.E. Robinson were negligent and did not fulfill their duties to customers, according to the suit. The companies should have used a different method to ensure no water entered the fuel, the lawsuit said.
Anyone buying the gas would not have known it was defective and that it would cause significant damage to a vehicle, according to the lawsuit.
No court dates are scheduled.
