Ever since the winter holiday season ended, hoverboards – the two-wheel
mobility devices – have been in the news for starting house fires
and bucking riders off unexpectedly. Now, after months of collecting injury
reports, including 3rd-degree burns and broken bones, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has at last announced an official widespread recall of nearly all hoverboards.
More than 500,000 hoverboards have been caught in the blanketing recall,
affecting ten companies in total. The recall was created due to lithium-ion
batteries in hoverboards sparking and exploding without warning; the recall
does not mention the trip and fall hazards hoverboards create due to their
less-than-perfect balance controls. It is entirely possible that a secondary
recall could affect more brands, effectively including
all hoverboards, if the CPSC decides the possibility of being bucked off a
hoverboard is too great and represents a naturally-dangerous product.
The recall should not come as any surprise to hoverboard manufacturers,
especially after Swagway, one of the country’s leading hoverboard
companies, told consumers their products weren’t safe in February.
While that might seem like a noble notion, Swagway retracted its comment
days later, claiming they had “mastered the technology” behind
hoverboards. Whether or not they are able to implement safer technology
and balance controls in their next line of production may be up to the
CPSC to decide.
For a full list of recalled hoverboards,
NBC New York posted a brief article
here. A detailed list is also available directly from the CPSC by
clicking here. If you have been hurt while using a hoverboard and you believe the product
is to blame, you can call
417.313.1130 to connect with
Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci, Attorneys at Law. Our Springfield personal injury lawyers – also
serving Joplin – may be able to help you win a maximized settlement
through a product liability lawsuit.
Contact us today.
