Samsung Recalls Galaxy Note 7 Due to Suspicious Fires

(Newswire.net — September 21, 2016) West Palm Beach, FLORIDA — Samsung Electronics issued a massive recall of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on Friday, September 02, after reports some devices have exploded or caught fire. 

Samsung representatives have stated faulty batteries are to blame for the recall and have confirmed it has nothing to do with devices themselves. The smartphones, which only came onto the market August 19, were immediately pulled from the shelves by mobile carriers and retail stores.

It is believed the battery in the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones can overheat if there is an error in the manufacturing process, although Samsung officials claim this is quite rare. The error causes negative and positive electrodes to come together in the battery cell, creating flaws in the battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 uses lithium-ion batteries which are supplied by 2 different companies. Amperex Technology Ltd., a unit of Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp supplies about 35% but are only used for devices sold in China. The majority (65%) are supplied by Samsung SDI. Lithium-ion batteries are often used by manufacturers in hand-held devices and laptops due to their long battery life and light weight.

It has also been suggested an issue with the compatibility of the phone’s battery and chip could also be a factor when the phone is charged quickly.

To date, 35 cases of faulty batteries have been reported to Samsung. There are no known injuries.

This past weekend alone, there were 2 separate cases of fires reported. In one case, a Florida man claimed his Jeep caught fire after he left his Galaxy Note 7 charging in the console of his vehicle. In another case, a North Carolina man claims his garage caught fire after he left his device plugged into an outlet. His house has been condemned and fire investigators have confirmed the fire began in the same outlet. In both cases, the owners were unaware of Friday’s recall. Officials are continuing to look into both cases.

It is estimated about 2.5 million devices are affected, which analysts predict, could have Samsung seeing losses in the $904 million-dollar range.

Samsung plans to provide replacement phones or refunds to the millions of customers affected by the recall.

If you, a loved one, friend, neighbor, colleague or client has been injured as a result of a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, please contact our firm at 561-655-1990 or chat with us at www.ForYourRights.com. We are available to answer your questions 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.

If you are in need of a Product Liability Attorney in West Palm Beach, call now!