In a decision that really comes as no surprise to most of us, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has officially declared that hoverboards are intrinsically unsafe as long as they do not have independent certification. Due to the fact that all hoverboards that are being sold right now and were sold recently during the 2015 holiday season have no certification or in-depth safety review of any kind, the CPSC’s decision has essentially labeled no hoverboards safe for consumer use.
Retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar-based, were told to by the Commission to stop selling hoverboards until the products were studied in more detail and certified. The actual manufacturers and distributors of the hoverboards, who were notoriously hard to locate when people went looking for someone to sue for their injuries, were also given the same warning. If any of the aforementioned parties do not pull hoverboards from their shelves, the CPSC could do it for them, as well as press criminal charges and open the door for even more civil litigation.
If you search videos for people being thrown off their hoverboards, either due to a malfunction or a general lack of safety instruction, you can find clip after clip after clip. But the CPSC has officially cited that hoverboards are so dangerous because of the fire hazards they present. When the lithium-ion batteries are overcharged, exposed to heat or humidity, or otherwise agitated, they can burst into flames. Within the three months since Christmas, millions of dollars’ worth of property damage has been reported due to 52 fires.
What Comes Next for the Hoverboard?
Amazon has already jumped on the chance to set things straight, and possibly save face, by offering refunds to anyone who had purchased a hoverboard recently from their online retail store. Airlines have taken the initiative and banned them from being transported on planes, both as carry-ons and in cargo bays. And apparently some officials in the United Kingdom have started to confiscate hoverboards on sight. All in all, the future does not look good for hoverboards.
Here at Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC, our Dothan personal injury attorneys have already begun looking into hoverboard accident cases. If you have been hurt by one of these popular yet dangerous products anywhere in Alabama, we can be the law firm to represent you and seek fair and maximized compensation on your behalf. Contact us today for a complimentary initial consultation.
More information on the future of hoverboards is covered in the following articles: