You plug in your phone. You walk away. The only thing you expect that charger to do is bring your phone battery back up to full power. The last thing you expect it to do is shock you, or worse, start on fire.
Of course, that is exactly what happened to several people. It may start to make you wonder: is anything safe these days?
The fire risks are the reason Target recalled a brand of cellphone chargers they carry in their stores on May 29, 2019. The retailer has recalled over 90,000 of these units and received 14 claims involving the charging cables smoking, sparking or catching fire. Two of these reports involved reports of consumers experiencing burns on their hands.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission states that the metal around the cord of the chargers becomes electrically charged and poses the potential for injury or damage.
State law gives you two years to take legal action
There are so many products to choose from, whether you are standing in the brick-and-mortar store or browsing the online catalog. You can’t tell which ones pose a hidden danger. There are no warning labels for these types of issues. It’s the use of them that leads to discovery.
So, what if you or your child is injured by one of these defective products? Your first reaction is going to be to take of the injury. Depending on how severe it is, you may have to deal with it for some time. In fire situations, you may be worried about repairing the damage to your home or replacing the things you’ve lost.
Most people need financial help, and anyone injured by a faulty product deserves it. You only have a limited time in which you can recover, so don’t waste any time!
Alabama generally provides you two years from the time of the injury to recover losses from defective products. Injuries like burns can scar and create medical bills. Chargers that spark or catch fire can cause property damage and additional injury as well.
You shouldn’t have to worry about experiencing shock, burns, and even fires when you plug your phone in to charge. Companies must ensure that their products are safe for their consumers before putting them on their shelves for sale, but that is not always the case.
