On Tuesday, Samsung Electronics announced that it has ceased production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after it failed to find a solution to prevent the phones from catching fire and exploding.
The company stated that it had stopped sales and exchanges of the phones in the best interest of consumers’ safety and that it consequently also decided to stop production of the device altogether.
At the start of September, the company recalled 2.5 million phones after receiving reports that the devices would catch fire or explode while charging. The recall was issued just weeks after the phone was released on Aug. 19.
Shortly after the recall announcement, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning advising travelers not to use the phones while onboard an aircraft.
Upon recalling the phones, Samsung issued replacement phones to owners. Those phones too, however, had similar complaints of catching fire.
A Kentucky man reported waking up to a bedroom full of smoke after his replacement Note 7 caught fire. The man noted that his phone was not plugged in at the time. That incident happened just days after another replacement Note 7 caught fire on a Southwest Airlines plane.
In recent weeks, the company had asked owners of the Galaxy Note 7 and the replacement phones to turn the phones off and stop using them while the company worked to find a solution to the problem.
Some have speculated that Samsung’s race to produce a competitive alternative to the popular iPhone may have led the company to rush the product to market, potentially leading to cut corners and oversight in technical safety.
When companies put profits ahead of consumer safety and produce products that harm customers, they can be held accountable for their actions. If you or someone you love has been injured by this or any other defective product, our product liability lawyers can help you seek the compensation you deserve.