Best Buy Sued Over Hot Computer Power Pack

(CN) - Best Buy knowingly marketed a defective computer power pack that burned a New Jersey woman's leg, the woman claims in court.

Rebecca Ratliff filed a lawsuit against Best Buy Stores LP, Hewlett-Packard Co., Rocketfish, Battery-Biz Inc. and SPS Inc. in Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court.

Ratliff says in the complaint that she used a Rocketfish AC Laptop Power Adapter that she bought from Best Buy to plug in her Hewlett-Packard laptop computer.

According to Ratliff, she fell asleep watching a movie on Netflix while visiting a friend in August 2013.

Ratliff claims she woke up to the smell of burning flesh and found a large open burn wound on her right leg where it touched the adapter.

The burn required skin grafting and Ratliff suffered "lessened functional use of her right leg, permanent scarring and chronic pain," according to the lawsuit.

She claims that Best Buy should have been aware of the risk of her injury.

"Best Buy was aware through its website that multiple customers had left reviews claiming the product got extremely hot during use," according to the complaint.

Ratliff seeks punitive damages for negligence, strict liability and breach of warranty.

"Defendants' actions by placing such defective products into the stream of commerce were wanton and reckless," the complaint states.

Philadelphia attorney Jay L. Edelstein is representing Ratliff.

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