Batteries on iPhone Overheat

Eleven years after the iPhone was introduced, fifty people were evacuated from an Apple Store. Of those, seven required medical attention, including a store employee. It occurred in Zurich after an iPhone battery overheated and emitted smoke. Store employees put quartz sand over the battery to suppress the smoke, and they ventilated the store.

The store employee received burns, but it does not appear from initial reports that anyone received severe injuries. Yet the emergency of the overheated battery posed the threat of serious problems.

The public is becoming increasingly aware of the hazard created by malfunctioning electronic devices. In the past two years, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was found to explode and catch fire. In September 2016, sales of the Note 7 were suspended and a recall was announced. It turned out that a manufacturing defect caused some of the devices to build up excessive heat.

The problem involving Samsung, and now possibly one with Apple, reinforces the need for effective products liability laws. They are essential to protect consumers when manufacturers of products have flaws in the design or fabrication process, or when they fail to inform the public and initiate a recall. Many can remember when side-saddle tanks on pickup trucks that were killing motorists led to products liability cases, as did the failure of Firestone tires. These civil laws are absolutely critical to protecting the safety of the public in our complex society.

If you or someone you know has been injured by a defective product, contact an experienced attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.