A Long Island man claims he was injured when his iPhone exploded in his pocket on Valentine’s Day. Erik Johnson said that he severely burned his upper thigh, as he tried to grab the phone out of his pocket. He spoke to PIX 11 News about the scary iPhone incident.
“I bent over to get keys and all I heard was pop and after a little smoke coming out, and just like an instant burn. My leg just starts going on fire.”
The iPhone burned his thigh, leaving third-degree burns. Johnson said that he tried to remove it from his pocket, but he couldn’t in time, according to a CNN report.
“I was literally jumping up and down trying to get the phone out of my pocket, but I had dress pants on. I think the phone melted my pockets shut so I couldn’t get into it and I had to rip my pants off.”
Johnson had to be hospitalized for up to 10 days after suffering from second- and third-degree burns. Apple is currently investigating Johnson’s iPhone accident. These claims are similar to an incident in 2009 when a French teenager was injured after his iPhone began to smoke up. Also in summer of 2013, Apple investigated a Chinese woman who was allegedly electrocuted while charging her iPhone.
These aren’t the only instances that an iPhone has blown up on a user. Last October, an Arizona man claimed that his iPhone 6 caused second-degree burns on his leg following a rickshaw accident. In February of 2014, a teen from Maine claimed that her iPhone 5c exploded and caught fire in her pocket. There have also been numerous reports about the iPhone 4 catching on fire and exploding.
Ronald J. Gerber, the CEO of IT event company Angelbeat, says that smartphones can leak hot lithium if the battery is overheated or the circuit board is damaged. However, these incidents are often rare. Considering how many iPhone users there are in the world, the chances of having an iPhone melt or explode is “infinitesimal,” according to Gerber.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KplWEJjFxM
Johnson is planning to take legal action against Apple. Some reports say that he wants to file a cross action lawsuit against the tech giant. Johnson’s lawyer hasn’t made it clear whether or not he will be pressing charges. Attorney Mike Della told CNN , “Obviously Apple has to take a closer look at what they’re putting out in the stream of commerce before they go out and sell these items that could potentially be this dangerous.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmm33XszlVw
As for iPhone users, it’s best to use the original charging accessories that came with your device to avoid any serious problems with the battery or its circuit board. Using the original accessories that came with your phone can greatly reduce the chances of having your phone explode or catch on fire.
Apple may have another lawsuit on their hands. Ericsson is planning to sue the company over the patents of its iPhones and iPads that use the 2G and LTE tech, along with non-standard patents that utilize the software and component hardware design, according to an Inquisitr report. Ericsson is preventing Apple from selling new iPads and iPhones until this patent dispute is settled.
[Image: JESHOOTS/ Pixabay]