On January 4, 2018, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of 50,000 batteries sold in the United States, and an additional 2,600 sold in Canada. These batteries have the potential to be a fire and burn hazard to consumers as a result of overheating. This recall is a continuation of HP’s original recall that began in 2016. HP has had a product on a recall list every year since 2012.
HP has received eight reports of battery packs melting, overheating, or charring, including reports of property damage and a minor burn injury. The batteries were sold separately and with mobile workstations and notebook computers sold from December 2015 through December 2017.
Products in which the battery was sold include: HP ProBooks (64xG2 and G3 series, 65x G2 and G3 series), HP Envy m6, HPx360, HP Pavilion x360, HP 11, HP ZBook (17 G3, 17 G4, and Studio G3) Mobile Workstations and as replacement batteries for HP ZBook Studio G4 Mobile Workstation.
Consumers are encouraged to visit HP.com/go/batteryprogram2018 to see if their battery is part of the recall and how affected consumers should proceed. HP has provided a Battery Validation Utility that will detect if an affected battery is being used in your device. The check takes less than a minute on a typical computer and is easy to use- simply click on the button to download the utility and wait for your results.
HP is providing battery replacement services by an authorized technician at no cost if your battery is part of those recalled. According to HP, the batteries affected in the recall are not to be replaced by consumers.
As reported by the 2016 United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, within the span of one year there were 216,542 reported hospital emergency department visits and injuries treated associated with the category of home communication, entertainment, and hobby equipment. Of those reported injuries, there were 22 that resulted in death. The report also stated that the number of deaths are likely higher than reported due to the method of gathering statistical data.
Today’s marketplace is a race to produce products that are new and innovative, and unfortunately this does not always mean that they are safe. According to Newsome Melton, “Many products are recalled for a variety of reasons, the most common being potential for injury or damage to property. Unfortunately, many large companies are no match for small personal injury lawyers, and many consumers are left without compensation for their injuries, loss of wages, and medical bills.” It takes a legal team with experience and expertise to go up against the large companies that often sell defective products.
