A new lawsuit filed in the US district court in California alleges that Samsung's exploding issue isn't just limited to the Galaxy Note 7. It claims that Samsung “chose to conceal the problem from the public … despite knowing the foreseeable and predictable risk that the phone may overheat, flame and destruct from the inside presenting a risk of serious harm or injury.” The lawsuit claims that a Galaxy S6 Active emitted a 5-inch high flame and left the user with “melted flesh” and alleges that Samsung has known for years that its technology was hazardous.
The lawsuit has been filed by Brandon Covert and his wife Jennifer. They woke up to a “loud explosion, resembling a gunshot” on August 2 and saw that Brandon's S6 Active lying on the dresser was “shooting out flames four to five inches high, and quickly filling the room with smoke.” He tried putting out the fire by smothering the phone with a shirt but that didn't work so he picked it up and went to the kitchen to drench it in water. “What remained was a contorted pile of metal, plastic and glass, along with Brandon’s melted flesh,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit mentions more than 30 consumer reports raising concerns about this issue going as far back as 2011 and seeks unspecified damages as the “smell of toxic fumes, scorched metal, burnt flesh, and smoke filled [the Coverts’] bedroom, making it uninhabitable for several days following the explosion and fire.” While we have seen reports of Samsung devices burning up in a similar fashion, they don't have the battery cell issue that caused the Galaxy Note 7's fall from grace. Any smartphone with a lithium battery will combust in this manner when the battery is exposed to factors beyond what it has been designed for. This could be anything from a counterfeit charger to excess pressure, doesn't necessarily mean there's a widespread problem.
Samsung is yet to comment on this lawsuit.
