Apple Sued by Customers for Alleged Defect in Apple Watch That Can Cause Injuries

An Apple Store employee shows the Series 5 Apple Watch during the preview of the redesigned and reimagined Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York on Sept. 19, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters File Photo)

Apple Inc. (AAPL) has been sued by a group of customers for an alleged “dangerous safety hazard” in every generation of the Apple Watch that can cause injuries.

What Happened

The proposed class-action lawsuit filed by Apple Watch customers accuses the Tim Cook-led company of failing to provide sufficient space inside the Apple Watch for swelling of the internal lithium-ion battery.

The swelling created considerable upward pressure on the watch, causing the screen to detach, crack or shatter, and expose its “razor-sharp edges” to users.

These screens are a “material and unreasonably dangerous safety hazard” as they could lead to personal injuries from unintended bodily contact with the screens, as per the lawsuit.

The suit claims that all Apple Watches—from the original Apple Watch to the Apple Watch Series 6-contain the defect.

Further, the plaintiffs allege that since 2015, Apple has sold tens of millions of watches throughout the U.S., despite knowing about the defect. The lawsuit also accuses the Cupertino, California-based company of violating various consumer protection laws for failing to disclose the defect when it released the product.

Why It Matters

The Apple Watch is an important product for Apple and is part of the company’s wearables, home, and accessories segment that generated sales of $8.79 billion in the recent fourth quarter, up 11.6 percent year-over-year.

In September, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 7, which features an “Always-On Retina” display with significantly more screen area and thinner borders.

By Madhukumar Warrier © 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.