fire hazard Archives - Newsome

2-Year-Old Ashanti Hughes Becomes First Fatality Connected to a Hoverboard Fire

Tuesday, March 14, 2017 - 01:44

Last week on March 11^th, tragedy struck the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania after a charging hoverboard allegedly overheated and sparked a fire that spread throughout a family’s home. The fire, which quickly engulfed the entire house, claimed the life of 2-year old Ashanti Hughes. To make matters worse, Lieutenant Dennis DeVoe, a firefighter on route to the home was killed by a drunk driver in a stolen vehicle. Ashanti’s father, a teenage boy, and two young girls were also rushed to the hospital for smoke inhalation and other unspecified injuries. (more…)

Product Liability

Apple Investigates iPhone 6 Plus that Allegedly Went Up in Flames

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - 01:17

Apple Investigates iPhone that Allegedly Went Up in Flames As smartphones continue to progress, the battery must keep pace. This means that the smartphone’s main source of energy, lithium-ion, must increase its capacity. But without proper engineering the material can become unstable. As seen in Samsung’s million phone recall, an unstable battery can lead to […]

Product Liability

Toshiba Recalls 190K Panasonic Lithium-Ion Batteries Over Fire Hazard

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - 04:42

Panasonic Lithium-Ion Batteries Can Overheat; Toshiba Recalls 190K After a long 2016, U.S. consumers are used to hearing about Lithium-ion battery problems leading to laptops overheating, smartphones going up in flames, hover boards burning riders, and electronic cigarettes exploding in people’s pockets. In the latest recall of the troubled Lithium-ion battery, which powers the vast […]

Product Liability

Polaris Recalls Continue; 9,900 ATVs Pose Fire Risk, Could Leak Gas

Thursday, January 5, 2017 - 04:42

Polaris Recalls Continue; 9,900 ATVs Pose Fire Risk With two days left in 2016 Polaris Industries, a publicly traded U.S. manufacturer announced the recall of 9,900 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) over concerns that they can potentially leak fuel and go up in flames. Persistent fire safety concerns have forced Polaris, in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer […]

Auto Defects

NEW PSA SERIES: Your Car May Be Unsafe- How to Protect Yourself & Family

Friday, August 5, 2016 - 07:27

Silent Killers, a new public service announcement (PSA) series designed to inform and educate the public about a spike in recent car safety issues will launch Monday on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter. The PSAs address topics ranging from defective airbags to exploding tire risks in high heat. Created by ConsumerWatch, the web series […]

Auto Defects

E-Cig Battery Fire Lawsuits on the Rise

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 06:47

25 years ago litigation involving exploding BIC lighters was fought against BIC by consumer justice lawyers across the country. The BIC lighters, which were alleged to randomly explode, were the subject of numerous cases where children and consumers were horribly burned. The litigation was particularly ugly, with brutal discovery fights and allegations of discovery abuse. […]

Product Liability

Waterlogic Recalls About 48,000 Water Cooling and Heating Systems Due to Fire Hazard

Thursday, September 19, 2013 - 08:46

There have been several product recalls this year involving fire hazards. Sometimes products meant to control temperature or humidity can be manufactured in a way that makes them potentially dangerous. For instance, Gree recalled more than two million dehumidifiers last week after approximately $2.15 million worth of property damage was reported by consumers. According to the CPSC, the dehumidifiers could overheat and catch fire.

Product Liability

Gree Recalls More than 2 Million Dehumidifiers Due to Risk of Overheating

Friday, September 13, 2013 - 03:01

People who live in moist and hot areas often need to keep their homes at a stable humidity to prevent the spread of mold and other conditions. This is where a dehumidifier comes in. However, this year millions of dehumidifiers have been recalled due to overheating issues. In July, Sears reissued a recall for approximately 795,000 Kenmore dehumidifiers due to several fire and burn incidents. This month, one of the largest recalls of this year has just been issued for nearly 2.2 million dehumidifiers.

Product Liability

Target Recalls Approximately 25,000 Lamps Due to Fire and Shock Hazard

Monday, September 9, 2013 - 11:09

The retailer Target has had a few products recalled from its shelves this year. Last month, Wilton Industries, a company that produces items for Target, recalled more than 700,000 tea kettles due to a potential defect that allows steam to travel up the spout or water to spill from the spout, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

Product Liability

Klever Kids Recalls About 7,000 Pajamas Due to Flammability Standard Violation

Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - 08:02

Certain products sold in the United States must meet rigorous flammability standards put in place by the CPSC. If these standards are not met, then the CPSC will take action. In January, Mattress Cloud Inc. had to recall approximately 1,400 mattresses because they did not meet the open flame standard for mattresses. Like mattresses, children’s sleepwear must pass tests and be flame resistant and able to self-extinguish if it catches on fire.