If you live in Naperville and have recently purchased a Samsung product, you should be aware of a couple of significant safety recalls. As a recent report from ABC News explains, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, a new smartphone device, was recalled due to the serious risk of fire and burn-related injuries. Just a couple of weeks later, news arose about a possible product defect in Samsung top-loading washing machines that can lead the appliance to explode, according to a recent article in Business Insider. While some product defects are relatively minor and often do not result in severe or life-threatening personal injuries—or place consumers at serious risk of this level of harm—the recent Samsung recalls are different. Both of the products mentioned have the potential to cause serious and even life-threatening injuries.
What else do you need to know about the potential safety defects in these Samsung devices? And what should you do if you own one of the dangerous products?
Lithium-Ion Battery Hazards in Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones
The first significant recall concerns the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones released earlier this summer. What is wrong with these devices? In short, there is a problem with the lithium-ion battery. The defect does not impact the design of the phone as a whole, but rather the battery contained within it. Under certain conditions, including when plugged into a power source, the battery can overheat and can cause an explosion or a fire. According to the ABC News report, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) knows of 92 reports involving overheating lithium-ion batteries. In 55 of those cases, fires started and caused property damage in consumers' cars and garages, among other places. In 26 of those reported incidents, consumers sustained burn-related injuries due to explosion or fire from the overheating battery.
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