Man sues Samsung after his new smartphone explodes in his pants
According to an article from CNET, a Florida man has filed what may be the first lawsuit in the US involving the Samsung Note 7's combustible battery. 92 reports in the US alone have said the phone battery overheats, with 26 reports of it causing burns. Jonathan Strobel of Boca Raton perhaps has the most alarming story about the Korean manufacturer's new smartphone.
28-year-old Strobel has recently filed a lawsuit concerning the Note 7's combustible battery, saying that his device exploded in the front pocket of his pants this September 9th.
"His right thigh has a deep second-degree burn the size of the phone," Strobel's lawyer Keith Pierro told CNET. The Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue also cited the phone as having melted in Strobel's pants.
Strobel's suit says that he "sustained serious and permanent bodily injuries resulting in pain and suffering, permanent impairment, disability, mental anguish, inconvenience, loss of the enjoyment of life, expense of medical care and treatment, expense of hospitalization, lost wages, and ability to earn wages in the past and to be experienced in the future."
His argument is that Samsung could have taken immediate action to protect customers but chose not to. Although Samsung announced a self-initiated recall the week before Strobel's accident, it did not work with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on an official recall until a week later, when injuries had already been sustained.
Others have made complaints that Samsung has not done enough to contact Note 7 customers personally. Australian Tham Hui said on September 4th that his Note 7 caused $1,400 worth of damage to his hotel room. "You'd think they'd contact people [who] bought directly from Samsung to return their Note 7," said Hui at the time.