Samsung issued a recall of all Galaxy Note 7 devices following 35 reports indicating that the batteries inside the Note 7 heat up and cause the smartphone to catch fire. The recall is a big enough pill to swallow, but Samsung may be facing even bigger problems.
Samsung Electronics is being sued after a Galaxy S7 edge unit allegedly exploded in the owner’s pocket, causing him second and third degree burns. The lawsuit was submitted by attorneys from ClassAction.com, on behalf of Daniel Ramirez.
The owner underwent surgery and required multiple skin grafts. He will be undergoing extensive care and physical therapy before he can recover.
The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey by Daniel Ramirez, who purchased the smartphone from Best Buy in March. The incident occurred on May 30, when Ramirez was working at his construction job at a bookstore in Ohio.
The smartphone caused second and third degree burns to its owner
Suddenly, the Galaxy S7 edge stored in his pocket, caught fire and the owner tried to take it out but suffered burns on his right hand. The smartphone heated up to a point that his pants melted onto his leg, thus causing third degree burns.
This is the first time that Samsung has been sued over a battery issue at one of its devices. Samsung did decide to recall its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, which have defective batteries manufactured by Samsung SDI. ClassAction.com reached out to Samsung to confirm that the battery inside Galaxy S7 edge units is made by the same manufacturer.
This isn’t the first case that a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge catches fire, earlier this month we reported that a Galaxy S7 edge smartphone caught fire while charging. This time, the owner wasn’t harmed and Samsung offered to replace the smartphone or provide the owner with a refund. It remains to be seen what the ruling will be in this lawsuit, but needless to say that the damage was already made to Samsung’s brand image.