Category

Product Liability
From the moment plumbing went indoors, there was the potential for water damage to buildings from faulty plumbing. And, the addition of appliances only increased the potential. But, what about the connection between the indoor plumbing and the appliance? The water pipes in a structure have to connect somehow to appliances that use water, like...
On January 23, 2017, Samsung announced that poorly designed and manufactured batteries are to blame for the fires associated with its Galaxy Note 7 phones. The announcement comes after months of investigation by Samsung and three independent industry organizations. The investigation revealed problems with both the batteries that were originally used in the phone during...
There are many impediments to a successful investigation of a product liability claim – age of the product, preservation of evidence, chain of custody of the evidence, installation markings, etc. This article will discuss situations where there is a lack of identifying information on the product. Products Lacking Manufacturer Identification Picture the scenario where the insured...
On October 13, 2016, Roylco Educational Light Cubes were recalled because its lithium battery can overheat and catch fire. On the same day, Samsung expanded its recall of the Galaxy Note7 Smartphones based on additional incidents with the replacement phone’s lithium battery overheating and catching fire. On September 20, 2016, Denon recalled its rechargeable battery...
Despite over a decade of laptop battery recalls, one of the latest chapters in the lithium-ion fire hazard saga unfolded on June 23, 2016, when HP issued a sweeping recall of batteries installed in its notebook computers. The particular lithium-ion batteries subject to the recall, the company states, “have the potential to overheat, posing a fire...
On July 6, 2016, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall for more than 500,000 hoverboards due to fire hazards. The recall involves ten manufacturers, retailers, online retailers and/or US importers, with over half involving the popular Swagway model. The basis for the recall is: “The lithium-ion battery packs in the self-balancing scooters/hoverboards...
It is not unusual to face a situation where a product implicated in a loss is manufactured by a foreign defendant. Typically, the product has been manufactured in another country and distributed by a domestic company or otherwise sold by a domestic retailer. In such situations there can be a reluctance to pursue the foreign...
In the media news recently there have been a number of reports concerning hoverboard fires which may involve the lithium-ion battery and/or compatibility with the power supply. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating the root cause of these incidents. In response to these incidents, Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”) announced on February 2, 2016 the...
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