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Thursday, April 18, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Woman Says IPhone Ignited in Her Pocket

(CN) - A South Carolina woman claims in court that she suffered third-degree burns and permanent scarring when her iPhone 5c suddenly ignited in her pocket.

In a complaint filed in the Greenville, S.C. Circuit Court on Thursday, Raven Dineen claims the incident occurred on June 13, 2014, and that she did nothing to cause the mishap.

Her attorney, Edwin Turnage of Harris and Graves P.A., said Dineen, who was a minor at the time, had to seek treatment of third-degree burns at the Augusta Burn Center in Georgia, and "was totally disabled" for a period of time.

"We're basically talking about a chemical fire," Turnage said of the incident.

As recounted in the complaint, Dineen had a cell phone that was damaged, and a claim was submitted on her behalf.

As a result, Apple, Asurion Protection Services and Sprint sent her a replacement phone the iPhone that is the subject of the lawsuit.

Dineen and her attorney contend the three defendants provided her with an iPhone that was "defective and unreasonably dangerous because it had a loose screw adjacent to the battery when it was delivered to her."

"The screw punctured the battery and ignited," the complaint says.

According to the complaint, the defendants, jointly or individually, "introduced the defective and unreasonably dangerous iPhone into the stream of commerce."

Turnage told Courthouse News that while Sprint claims the iPhone sent to his client was brand new, the insurance contract allows a refurbished or new phone as a replacement.

Dineen is seeking unspecified damages for negligence, product liability and breach of warranty.

Apple and Sprint did not respond to a request for comment from Courthouse News.

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