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Hoverboards: A Popular Holiday Gift that Can Catch Fire and Explode
They are calling it the hottest Christmas gift this year, the hoverboards, but be careful because they can literally get so hot they can catch fire. In the last month, there has been several reports across the country about these products exploding and causing serious injuries to consumers.
An exploding two-wheeler burned a house down in Louisiana a few weeks ago. In New York, another one caused significant damage to a home when it combusted just a few days ago. In a Washington mall, a scooterboard caught fire and shoppers were forced to evacuate. Some major airlines have even banned the little vehicles altogether.
Why are these hoverboards catching fire? In the New York and Louisiana incidents, the board was plugged in and recharging, but in the mall incident, the board was not plugged in. What’s more, there have been reports of scooters bursting into flames while people were riding them. It looks like the big problem has to do with the quality of the batteries inside these products. A formal recall has not been issued yet, but due to the several reports of injuries associated with this product there is an ongoing investigation on behalf of the CPSC.
This morning, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Elliot F. Kaye released a statement addressing the growing concern about the safety of hoverboards. “CPSC field investigators are actively investigating hoverboard-related fires across the country and will open new cases as they come to our attention. Consumers want and deserve answers about the safety of hoverboards.” The agency is currently trying to find the root cause of the fire hazard, how much of a risk it might present, and to provide consumers with answers as soon as possible.
The CPSC advised consumers that in addition of being aware of the fire hazard, they should also be concerned about the fall hazard this new product creates. The CPSC has received dozens of reports of injuries from hospital ERs. Some of these injuries have been serious, including concussions, fractures, contusions/abrasions, and internal organ injuries.
If you or someone you know has been injured due to defective product call our office at 813-877-5548 for a free consultation. We have decades of experience in the personal injury field handling product liability cases, slip and fall, car accidents, wrongful death, dog bite, and premises liability cases. We will be honored to represent you.
