A New York resident is suing LG Electronics for second and third-degree burns that he says is the result of his LG-made smartphone exploding into flames on January 13th. According to the lawsuit filed by 52-year old IT professional, Mr. Muhammad Sattar, his LG Optimus F6 caught on fire while in his trouser pocket, resulting in serious burns to his hand and right leg. Following the incident, Mr. Sattar, who lives in Queens and works in a Manhattan investment bank, was rushed to the Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he underwent skin grafts to treat his condition and needed a whole month to recuperate from his injuries, before he could join work. Now, he is seeking redressal by filing a lawsuit against the South Korean company at the Brooklyn federal court. According to his lawyer, Mr. Lawrence Goldhirsch, “It (the Optimus F6) was just in his pocket, sitting there, and it blew up”.
This is certainly not the first time that reports regarding exploding phones have made the headlines. Smartphone manufacturers of all descriptions, ranging from Apple to Samsung, OnePlus to LG, have all been accused at one stage or another of designing faulty products that have resulted in grievous injury to unsuspecting users. However, not many have been able to conclusively prove negligence on part of the companies that are marketing and/or manufacturing the devices. While a Samsung phone that exploded a few years ago was found to have been put in a microwave oven to dry out after having been dropped in the toilet, an iPhone that turned into a fireball while charging a couple years ago, was found to have been using an unaccredited third-party charger.
There were also reports of an OnePlus One that allegedly exploded last year in the Indian capital of New Delhi, but nothing came from that allegation either. It remains to be seen how this particular lawsuit in New York turns out, but hopefully for the victim, the investigation will be able to shed some light on exactly what happened, so that smartphone users do not have to worry about lugging around ticking time-bombs in their pockets.