There is a growing trend of fires caused by laptop computers with lithium-ion batteries that overheated and exploded into flames. Millions of laptops have been recalled by Dell, HP, Toshiba, and other manufacturers in recent years.
Need a Texas Laptop Explosion Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was injured due to a lithium-ion laptop battery explosion or fire, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE: Apple Recalls 2015 MacBook Pro for Fire Hazard
June 21, 2019 — Apple has announced a voluntary recall for certain 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops from the 2015 model-year because the battery can overheat and potentially catch on fire. Click here to read more.
HP Recalls Laptop Batteries for Fire Hazard
January 8, 2018 — HP is recalling about 50,000 lithium-ion laptop batteries after 8 reports of overheating, melting, or charring, as well as 1 report of a person who suffered a minor burn injury. Click here to read more.
What is the problem?
In many laptop explosion incidents, the fire is caused by a high-energy lithium-ion battery or some other component of the laptop overheating. When this happens, highly-flammable chemicals inside the battery can ignite and explode into flames, causing serious injuries and damage.
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Laptops
Lithium-ion batteries are used in most laptops because they pack a lot of power into a small size. The problem is that they contain explosive liquids that can boil when the battery gets too hot. Overcharging and overheating can increase pressure inside the plastic case and cause it to explode. Damage to the laptop battery can also cause an explosion.
JetBlue Flight Diverted Due to Laptop Battery Fire
On May 31, 2017, JetBlue Flight 915 from New York to San Francisco was forced to make an emergency landing in Michigan after a laptop battery overheated and smoke started coming out of a passenger’s carry-on bag. No one was injured because the flight crew put out the fire by the time the plane was on the ground. Unfortunately, terrifying laptop explosions on planes are becoming increasingly common.
How Often Do Laptops Explode on Planes?
Laptop batteries catch on fire in airports or on airplanes every 10 days on average, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). There were 31 laptop fires in 2016 alone — nearly double the number of incidents in 2015, and triple the number of laptop fires in 2014.
Dell Recalls 4.1 Million Laptop Batteries for Fire Hazard
In August 2006, Dell Computers recalled 4.1 million batteries due fire hazards. The recall involved the following laptop models sold from April 2004 through July 2006:
- Dell Latitude™ D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
- Dell Inspiron™ 6000, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 500m, 510m, 600m, 6400, E1505, 700m, 710m, 9400, E1705
- Dell Precision™ M20, M60, M70 and M90 mobile workstations
- Dell XPS,™ XPS Gen2, XPS M170 and XPS M1710
HP Recalls Over 500,000 Defective Laptop Batteries
In January 2017, Hewlett-Packard (HP) recalled another 100,000 defective laptop batteries due the fire concerns, expanding a recall for 41,000 batteries that began in June 2016.
The laptop batteries were sold from March 2013 through October 2016 in HP, Compaq, HP ProBook, HP ENVY, Compaq Presario, and HP Pavillion Notebook Computers.
Furthermore, HP has issued at least six recalls involving approximately 450,000 additional laptop batteries:
- October 2005 — 135,000 batteries, 16 incidents
- April 2006 — 16,000 batteries, 20 incidents, 1 burn injury
- October 2008 — 32,000 batteries
- May 2009 — 70,000 batteries, 2 incidents
- May 2010 — 54,000 batteries, 38 incidents, 11 injuries
- May 2011 — 162,000 batteries, 40 incidents, 7 burn injuries, 1 smoke inhalation injury
Toshiba Expands Laptop Recall to 184,000 Batteries
In January 2017, Toshiba recalled another 101,000 laptop batteries after 5 reports of overheating and melting, expanding a recall for 83,000 batteries that began in March 2016. They were sold in certain Toshiba Satellite, Satellite Pro, Portégé, Tecra, and Toshiba-brand laptops. The laptop batteries were sold between June 2011 and November 2016.
Need a Laptop Explosion Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas laptop explosion lawyers for a free lawsuit review.
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