Tyrese Maxey’s Christmas Eve House Fire Lawsuit: What Happened and How It Ended

On Christmas Eve 2021, a two-alarm fire tore through the Voorhees, New Jersey rental home of Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey. His former landlords blamed his parked Maserati for the blaze and sued the car manufacturer. A federal appeals court ruled in April 2026 that the landlords failed to prove the Maserati was defective or that it caused the fire. This is not a class action and there is no settlement. This article explains what happened, who sued whom, and why the case was thrown out.

Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Incident	Two-alarm house fire on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2021
Location	10 Fairway Drive, Voorhees, New Jersey
Tenant	Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers guard
Plaintiffs (Landlords)	Jim Wang, Dean Wang, and Yu Bai
Defendant	Maserati North America
Lawsuit Filed	2023, U.S. District Court of New Jersey
District Court Ruling	March 2025 — dismissed in favor of Maserati
Appeals Court Ruling	April 2026 — Third Circuit upheld dismissal
Presiding Judge (Appeals)	U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman
Injuries	None — all occupants escaped safely
Settlement	None — case dismissed

Where Things Stand Right Now

• The landlords appealed the district court’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, but a three-judge panel also rejected their argument.
• The landlords’ attorney Jeffrey Resnick said in a statement: “My clients are disappointed with the court’s decision and are evaluating their options.”
• Maserati’s attorneys did not respond to press requests for comment. The case is closed at the appellate level unless the landlords pursue further review.

What Happened the Night of the Fire

Tyrese Maxey’s youngest sister was the first to smell something burning on Christmas Eve 2021. The 76ers guard followed his family members outside his Voorhees home and saw the left side of the house engulfed in flames.

No one was hurt. Maxey publicly put the best face on a frightening night. “As long as we were alive, everything else is just material. Everything else can be replaced,” the All-Star said.

The rental house was damaged significantly, and Maxey’s landlords said they found their culprit: a defect in Maxey’s Maserati, which was parked in the garage.

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Maxey and his family ended up celebrating Christmas Eve in a hotel. He then cleared COVID-19 protocol on Christmas Day before a December 26 win against the Washington Wizards, and later moved to temporary housing while searching for a new home.

Why the Landlords Blamed the Maserati

When a fire destroys a home, the property owner typically looks to insurance and, where possible, a liable third party to recover damages. Here, the landlords — Jim Wang, Dean Wang, and their mother Yu Bai — pointed directly at the luxury car sitting in the garage.

The Wangs and Bai sued Maserati North America in the District Court of New Jersey in 2023, accusing the Italian luxury car manufacturer of selling a car that was “not reasonably safe” and that combusts.

To support their claim, they hired a fire investigation expert. The landlords’ expert witness, Nicholas Palumbo, is a retired fire investigator and former firefighter who concluded it was “more likely than not” that the fire originated in the Maserati’s engine compartment.

That conclusion, however, would not hold up in court.

Why the Courts Threw the Case Out

Under New Jersey product liability law, the landlords had to prove three things: that the Maserati had a defect, that the defect existed when the car originally left Maserati’s control, and that the defect caused the fire. They could not prove any of them.

The expert witness problem

Attorneys for Maserati argued that Palumbo did not have a degree or training in engineering and had no experience with automobiles. “In essence, Mr. Palumbo defaults to an opinion that the fire originated in the engine compartment of the vehicle because he could not find any other potential cause,” Maserati’s attorneys wrote in a court filing.

In other words, the expert ruled out other causes rather than affirmatively identifying a defect in the car. Courts require more than a process of elimination to establish product liability.

The district court agreed

In March 2025, U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams found the landlords’ expert witness failed to prove all three elements of the product liability claim and did not have credentials to opine on the cause of the fire.

The fire’s origin was not established

Local fire authorities and private experts hired by Maserati and insurance companies concluded the cause of the fire was “undetermined,” and some ruled out the car as the source entirely, according to the appeals court’s opinion.

The Third Circuit agreed with the district court

U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman wrote: “The Wangs cannot prove that there was a defect, that it existed at the time the product left Maserati’s control, or that it caused the fire.”

Maxey’s Role in the Case

Tyrese Maxey was not sued. He was not the target of this lawsuit. The landlords sued Maserati — the carmaker — because product liability claims go against the manufacturer, not the person who owns the product.

Maxey did participate in the case as a witness. Maxey rarely drove the Maserati and opted instead to drive his Range Rover. In a deposition, he explained: “It was wintertime, you understand what I’m saying, so I didn’t really drive it during this time. Sometimes it rains, I didn’t want to mess up the car.”

The Maserati in question was first sold in 2018 in Louisville, and Maxey purchased it in 2020 from an auto shop in Dallas. He brought it with him to the Philadelphia area after being drafted by the Sixers in November 2020.

The fact that the car had changed hands multiple times before the fire made proving any original manufacturing defect even more difficult for the landlords.

What This Case Means for Renters and Landlords

This case illustrates a challenge that property owners face when fire damage occurs on their rental properties. When a fire’s cause cannot be definitively determined, proving that a specific product caused it — to the legal standard required in court — is extremely difficult.

Product liability claims require hard evidence of a defect, not just a theory. A fire investigator’s opinion that a car could have started a fire is not enough if they cannot identify the specific defect and trace it back to the manufacturer’s control.

For renters and landlords alike, this case underscores the importance of thorough fire investigation, adequate property and renter’s insurance coverage, and the challenges of pursuing third-party liability claims when causation is unclear from the start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Tyrese Maxey sued in this case? 

No. The landlords sued Maserati North America, not Maxey. Maxey was the tenant whose car was parked in the garage. He appeared in the case as a witness through a deposition but was not named as a defendant.

Why did the courts dismiss the case?

 New Jersey product liability law requires a plaintiff to prove three things: that the product was defective, that the defect existed when the manufacturer released it, and that the defect caused the harm. The landlords’ expert could not establish any of these three elements to the court’s satisfaction.

Was the actual cause of the fire ever determined?

 No. Local fire authorities and experts hired by both sides concluded the cause of the fire was “undetermined.” Some investigators specifically ruled out the Maserati as the source. The true cause of the Christmas Eve 2021 fire remains unknown.

Can the landlords still pursue legal action?

 The Third Circuit has rejected their appeal. Their attorney said they are evaluating options, which could include seeking a rehearing before the full Third Circuit or filing a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court — though both paths face steep legal obstacles. A new lawsuit against a different party would require new evidence.

Does this ruling mean Maserati vehicles are safe from fire risk? 

The court did not rule that Maserati vehicles are without any fire risk. It ruled only that the landlords failed to prove this particular car had a defect that caused this particular fire. The ruling was about insufficient evidence, not a broader finding about the brand’s safety record.

What should a renter do if a fire damages a property they are renting?

 Renters should carry their own renter’s insurance, which can cover personal property loss. If a defective appliance or product you own causes damage, your liability coverage may also be relevant. Consult with your insurance provider immediately after any fire event, and preserve all physical evidence for investigators.

Is there any compensation available for people affected by this fire?

 This was not a class action and no settlement was reached. There is no claims process or compensation fund available to the public arising from this case.

Sources & References

• Philadelphia Inquirer — Full case reporting, April 7, 2026
• Law.com / NJ Law Journal — Third Circuit appellate ruling coverage, April 6, 2026

Last Updated: April 8, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.