Personal injury lawyers have reported an uptick in business due to injuries from the hoverboard, which is incidentally the season’s hottest holiday gift. Since Christmas, hoverboard injuries and fires have been reported across the nation. There are already at least two lawsuits pending related to hoverboard injuries and fires.
Currently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating 70 reports of emergency room visits due to hoverboard injuries and 22 reports of hoverboard fires. The majority of injuries associated with hoverboards appear to be falls and collisions, but most of those won’t merit a lawsuit unless they’re the direct result of a defect in the scooter.
A couple in Alabama and a man in New York are suing after hoverboards caused fires in their homes. Personal injury lawyers are anticipating seeing many more suits related to hoverboard injuries in the near future.
Some consumers have reported that their hoverboards randomly burst into flames. Some happen while charging, others during use. Early reports indicate the fires are an issue across brands. All seem to be related to cheap lithium ion batteries.
Amazon stopped selling some models because of concerns they were fire hazards. Overstock.com also said it would stop selling the devices on its website effective immediately. A number of enterprising law firms have already created landing pages just for hoverboard cases.
A personal injury lawyer in Little Rock, Arkansas says his firm has received a few inquiries from potential hoverboard clients, but no suits have been filed yet. The man in New York is seeking class action status for his case. Hoverboards have been declared illegal to ride in public by the New York Police Department and by British authorities.