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January 18, 2018

Dean Rauchwerger hosted a CLM Webinar on Thursday, January 18th. The topic was “Fire On Wheels – Food Truck Fires: Liabilities & Subrogation Opportunities”. 

Food trucks are prevalent across the country. They have become a “go-to-eatery” in urban areas, community festivals, college campuses, sporting events and concerts. The food truck industry is growing on an escalated scale. But, danger lies. Food trucks contain all of the ingredients for fire or explosion: propane tanks, generators, solid fuel, electricity, grease, and, of course, oxygen and heat. With the fire triangle elements in place: fuel, heat and oxygen, it’s a recipe for potential disaster.

Food trucks pose serious risks for fire and explosion. As such, recovery opportunities exist against the usual culprits: designers, equipment manufactures, those involved in inspection, testing or maintenance, operators, owners, lessors, municipalities and others. Whether a subrogator pursuing a recovery claim or a defender of bodily injury, death or property damage claims, understanding the dynamics of the “fire on wheels” is vital for handling food truck claims. 

This webinar highlighted the risks of fire and explosion and the opportunities for developing recovery claims and addressing potential liabilities. We will also discuss the current code development for mobile cooking equipment. Recent food truck fires and explosions will be used as case studies to highlight and educate on food truck fire and explosion risks.