The recent woes for Samsung and their new Galaxy Note 7 have highlighted a big problem with rushing out a product, without proper research and development. The result has been a plunge in share prices as well as countless users seeing their phone set ablaze or explode in their pocket. Product liability problems can cause serious injury (especially electronics) and now they are paying the price.
Rushing the Note 7
The trouble for Samsung seems to stem from executives learning earlier in the year that the latest version of the iPhone (the iPhone 7) would not feature any revolutionary innovations. Rumour has it, that upon hearing this, Samsung saw this as a chance to capitalise and push out their new model quicker, which would include a range of new features, thus besting Apple. Innovations would include:
- High resolution screen
- Wrap around screen
- Iris recognition
- More powerful battery
- Quicker charge times
On paper the new innovations seem as though they could help overtake the iPhone in using advanced technology, however the push towards an earlier launch to compete with (and hopefully beat) the iPhone 7’s launch, resulted in a world of trouble after quality control failures left the phone in it’s current state.
Up in flames
Shortly after its release, reports started to surface around the internet that some of the phones were setting alight and exploding. The number of cases quickly grew and within a month of release had already become widely publicised.
Some blazes covered on the news included, phones not only exploding but even damaging other property, such as cars. The spate of fires eventually prompted Samsung to cut their losses and inform any customers with the new phones to switch them off and hand them back in. The mobile phone giant also pulled them off sale at retail stores (a move which has knocked around $19 billion off their share prices).
With the phones often placed in pockets, an explosion from the battery does have the potential to cause very serious harm, especially if the phone is being carried by a youngster.
Burn injury costs
Whenever somebody suffers any burn injury there can be lifelong consequences, such as scarring and prolonged self esteem issues for the victim that is often associated with this type of injury. More serious burns could require skin grafting and cause victims to drastically change their wardrobe in an attempt to hide the burns in everyday life.
A large part of suffering a burn injury is psychological, as the memory of the incident, matched against the possible self confidence issues (or even embarrassment) surrounding how you think others perceive you, can leave you a very different person to the one before the incident.
Over the years we have helped a number of burn injury victims seek compensation for their injuries. We understand that every burn is different depending on circumstance and requires specialist help to overcome. A large part of what we do in our serious injury department is to plan ahead for the future, including any further treatment, rehabilitation and counselling that may be required following a burn injury. We take into account that burn injuries can have some of the longest lasting effects, requiring hard work to overcome.
If you have suffered a burn injury (or your friends or family have) from a faulty product, such as a mobile phone for example, then you could be entitled to compensation. We have a dedicated team who can offer you the best help and support in organising treatment and aftercare as well as our legal assistance. If you’d like to speak to one of our team you can call for free, impartial advice on 01695 722 222 (Lines are open weekdays from 9am to 7pm).
Alternatively you can begin a claim today by filling in our online form here. Our ‘no win no fee’ policy ensures you won’t pay us a penny if your claim is unsuccessful, taking away the risk with starting a claim. With no financial risks in starting a claim, call today to see what we can do for you.