In February 2016, the Consumer Product Safety Commission took the unprecedented step of sending a letter to all hoverboard manufacturers, importers and retailers. This letter told them that all hoverboards are potentially unsafe. One major manufacturer, Swagway, has also told people who own its hoverboards to quit using them until they are deemed safe.
This is a shocking turn of events. Two months ago, hoverboards were among the most popular Christmas gifts, and now the entire industry is in a bit of turmoil due to the injuries that have occurred and news coverage that the the hoverboards have received. Quicker than ever, the device went from most popular to most dangerous toy of the year.
In the letter, the CPSC declares that no manufacturer in the industry meets the CPSC’s safety standards when it comes to hoverboards or motorized toys. The government declaring an entire industry unsafe is extremely rare and possibly unprecedented. The CPSC declared hoverboards unsafe because of their risk of the battery exploding and catching fire. Many airlines, right after Christmas, banned the devices because of this issue and now it is officially a listed hazard of the device.
As personal injury attorneys, the most significant risk of hoverboards is the great possibility of falls and other related injuries. There have been hundreds of reports of people falling off of their hoverboards and incurring significant injuries, including numerous brain injuries and fractures of various bones. Those types of injuries have the potential to be permanently life-altering. We have done research and understand that these hoverboards are so new that the potential risks are not all listed in the owner’s manual. We also might not have seen all of the possible injuries yet and in coming moths, they might become more obvious.
If you or a loved one have been involved in a hoverboard accident, call our office today. Our attorneys have over a combined century of experience dealing with an extensive array of accident cases in and around New York City and have achieved over $100 million in settlements and verdicts to prove our success record. We have spent countless hours analyzing accidents and we do everything from checking building surveillance footage to speaking with expert witnesses to make sure the truth is told. Call our office today to figure our your next steps in your hoverboard accident. We are here to help you.
