A Lowe’s Home Improvement employee flooded a woman’s Presque Isle home three different times while installing and the company did not fix multiple issues, a lawsuit said.
Then-Presque Isle resident Lillian Ainsley entered a contract in November 2022 with Lowe’s and East Coast Flooring to install laminate flooring throughout her home. But the flooring was incorrectly and incompletely installed, leading to water damage and Ainsley being injured, according to the lawsuit.
Ainsley had to spend more than $18,000 to fix the issues caused by the company, which has refused to fix the problems, the suit said.
The lawsuit, originally filed in Aroostook County Superior Court before it was moved to U.S. District Court in Bangor on Thursday, alleges the companies engaged in consumer fraud and deceptive business practices, as well as acted with negligence that resulted in Ainsley being physically injured. It does not ask for a specific amount of damages.
Lowe’s has not yet filed a response but did pay the filing fee to move the lawsuit to federal court.
The flooring installer, who is a Lowe’s employee at the Presque Isle store, flooded the laundry room of Ainsley’s house three different times, the lawsuit said. Lowe’s did not attempt to provide any water damage restoration or repairs.
Ainsley had to remove an entire pine wall, trim and baseboards because of the water damage, the lawsuit said.
The rest of the flooring in her house was installed incorrectly or not completed at all in some areas, the lawsuit said. Some parts that were installed did not match and were of varying colors, the suit said. There were also loose flooring and balusters and protruding nails, according to the suit.
Ainsley tripped over loose flooring on a threshold and tore her meniscus, requiring surgery to repair, the lawsuit said.
