New York Burn Injury Lawyer Discusses Avoiding Flammable Phone Batteries, E-Cigarettes, and Hoverboards

During the past year, far too many high-profile and popular products have been in the news because they can suddenly catch fire and seriously injure or even threaten people’s lives explains a New York burn injury lawyer at the F&A accident law firm. They include the Samsung Note 7 Phone, hoverboards, and e-cigarettes. If you still own or use any of these products, stop using them immediately and visit each manufacturer’s website to find out if any replacement products or batteries are now available. While some of these items may still be safe, others can seriously harm you – or even cause deadly fires to erupt.

Before buying any new products in the future, always begin by visiting the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website to find out if the item you’re looking for is currently being recalled.  And once you’ve purchase a new item, carefully review the manufacturers’ instructions so you can minimize your chances of being injured.

Here’s a quick look at some of the dangers tied to hoverboards, e-cigarettes, and Samsung Note 7 Phones.

Hoverboard Fires Have Become Much Too Common

Back in January 2016, Brian Fox received the kind of text message no parent ever wants to receive. One of his children contacted him and said she was trapped in the family home that was on fire – and that she couldn’t get out. Earlier in the day, young Matthew Fox had ridden on his hoverboard and then parked it between two pieces of furniture in the house. Sometime later that day, the hoverboard actually caught on fire.

Once the Fox kids realized there was a fire, they became very frightened and confused due to the downstairs fire alarms going off, their pets barking, and the overwhelming thick black smoke filling up their house. Once Mr. Fox got his daughter’s text message, he sped home and wound up helping his two kids trapped inside jump to safety. In addition to the house burning down, a few physical injuries were also suffered. The entire family then move into a rental home to continue coping with the aftermath of their terrible fire.

While this hoverboard incident could have proved fatal, it certainly wasn’t the only one to occur during recent years. In fact, in early 2016, the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that during the past 10 weeks, it had received “reports of 52 hoverboard fires resulting in $2 million in damages in 24 states.”

If you currently own a hoverboard, take time to carefully reread the instructions on how to properly recharge and store the hoverboard when it’s not in use. You should also call or visit your hoverboard manufacturer’s website to see if it’s been recently recalled.

Troublesome E-Cigarettes Are Still Catching Fire

New graphic videos continue to be posted online of people whose e-cigarettes have suddenly caught on fire and seriously injured them. While most of these devices are safe, you must still take plenty of precautions while using them. NBS News published an interesting article on this topic back in March entitled, “What’s Causing E-Cigarette Batteries to Explode?”

According to that article, when an e-cigarette battery suddenly malfunctions, “the injuries can be horrendous – burns on the hands and face, fractured bones and loss of eyesight.” Unfortunately, our government’s current lack of oversight of this product is adding to its dangers. At present, neither the U. S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have any official authority to regulate e-cigarettes.

At present, e-cigarette smokers can just rely on their product’s safety instructions and unofficial guidelines available online. Here are just a few of those tips.

• Try to only buy brands made by reputable U. S. companies here in this country
• Carefully read all instructions before ever using your e-cigarettes
• Never let the e-cigarette’s atomizer overheat
• Keep your e-cigarettes away from water that can damage them
• Only use the proper charger for your cigarette’s battery
• Always move all clutter away from the area where you’ll be recharging your e-cigarette battery, and
• Never charge the battery for very long periods of time when you won’t be present.

Are There Any New Alternatives to the Samsung Note 7 Type of Phone (Battery)?

The Samsung Note 7 phone failure wasn’t just a minor event. As the reputable cnet.com website reports, “Samsung made the unprecedented decision to recall every single one of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold.” The company made that decision after learning that at least 35 smartphones (or their batteries) worldwide had recently overheated (or caught on fire). That number soon quadrupled.

It seems the biggest problem with the Samsung Note 7 Phone involved its lithium-ion battery pack. When those overheat, they can just catch fire. It seems this widespread problem is now motivating researchers to accelerate their attempts to create a new flame-resistant battery.

On November 3, 2016, CBS news broadcast a TV segment (and published the same story online) stating that a new type of battery is now being developed. The Maryland scientists involved report that they have created a “small, lithium-infused ceramic disc” that should be able to replace the “combustible components of today’s lithium-ion batteries.” Hopefully, many of us will be able to benefit from this type of new battery within another year or two.

If you have been seriously harmed by any of these products, be sure to contact your New York personal injury attorney to discuss whether you should file a lawsuit for damages.