HP is recalling more defective laptop batteries that may cause fire and burn injuries. According to reports, this most recent HP battery recall was first issued in January 2018 and then expanded in January 2019. But the most recent developments failed to make the news because the government shutdown interfered with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s ability to communicate the expansion. The recall date is now March 12, 2019, and it includes an additional 28,500 laptop battery units on top of the 50,000 initially announced back in early 2018. For a list of affected models click here.
Faulty Battery Issues
According to the CPSC, HP has received eight new reports of lithium-ion battery packs overheating, melting or charring including one report of minor injury and two reports of property damage totaling $1,100. The recall expansion involved lithium-ion batteries for HP commercial notebook computers and mobile workstations. The products were sold to businesses and other organizations.
Faulty battery problems have long plagued HP laptops with yearly recall alerts dating back to 2016 and totaling 250,000 units. It’s not clear what the main problem is, but HP has set up a website to help consumers figure out if their computer has one of these defective batteries and to guide them through the process of submitting it for a complimentary replacement.
Product Liability Issues
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. There is no question that these defective products have the potential to cause significant property damage and burn injuries that could lead to disfigurement and lifelong disabilities.
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.
