Hewlett Packard announced that it is recalling lithium-ion batteries in more than 50,000 laptops because of fire danger in cases of battery malfunction. According to Consumer Reports, the batteries that are being recalled have the potential to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to customers. The recall apparently only affects the battery and not the entire computer.
Property Damage and Injury Reported
Consumers should run HP’s Validation Utility software to determine if their batteries have been recalled. If the battery needs to be replaced, they should install an update that will put the device in Battery Safe Mode, which will discharge the battery and prevent it from being charged until it is replaced. This update will also allow consumers to safely continue using the computers with AC power while they wait for a replacement battery.
It is important to note, though that the batteries in most affected models cannot be easily replaced by consumers. So, HP will send a technician to the consumer’s location to install the replacement. The recalled laptop batteries were sold at national retailers including Best Buy, Amazon and the HP website between December 2015 and December 2017. An additional 2,600 units were sold in Canada.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that so far, HP has received eight reports of the batteries overheating, melting or charring. The malfunctioning resulted in three incidents of property damage and one first-degree burn injury to the hand.
Lithium-Ion Batteries
This is of course not the first our product defect lawyers have heard about lithium-ion batteries overheating and exploding or causing a fire. We’ve seen horrific incidents and injuries relating to products such as e-cigarettes or vaporizers, hoverboards, cell phones and laptops. Often, these incidents occur because of defective lithium batteries manufactured with cheap or substandard parts.
These types of incidents have the potential to cause significant property damage and physical injuries. If you have been injured by a defective lithium-ion battery, you may be able to seek compensation for your damages including medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation and pain and suffering. Injured victims would also be well advised to contact an experienced product defect attorney who will help them secure maximum compensation for their injuries, damages and losses, and hold the at-fault parties accountable.
Source:https://www.consumerreports.org/hp/hp-recalls-50-000-laptops-over-li-ion-battery-fires-/
