LISBON — An East Liverpool area man who suffered burns when a new gas generator he reportedly bought at Walmart in Calcutta caught fire and exploded, has filed a civil lawsuit in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court this week.

Robert C. Jones, Annesley Road, claims the generator was manufactured or provided to Walmart by Ultimate Solution Tools, also known as International Merchandising Service, Inc., in Fullerton, Calif.

On the day he purchased the new UST GG1350-Watt Portable Generator, July 20, 2015, Jones took it to Salineville to work on a project. He was powering a circular saw when he noticed the power being delivered to the saw was diminishing.

Jones approached the generator to investigate and power it down, however, the generator caught fire and exploded. Jones reportedly had burns on his right arm, left little finger and both his left and right shins. He believes the generator’s engine component sparked and ignited gas leaking from the fuel tank.

Jones was treated at East Liverpool City Hospital on both July 20 and July 23, 2015.

The lawsuit seeks in excess of $25,000 claiming the manufacturer failed to create a safe product when it was being used in a reasonable manner and failed to warn those purchasing the product of the risks of explosion. Additionally, the lawsuit claims neither Walmart nor Ultimate Solution Tools reportedly inspected the product to be certain it was safe before selling it to Jones.