Look Out for Exploding Hoverboards!

If you are a “Back to the Future” fan, you know what a hoverboard is. It’s pretty amazing that you can actually buy and ride a hoverboard in 2015. We see all those videos on YouTube, Facebook and Vine of people cruising around on their hoverboard scooters.

This is one of the hottest products on the shelves this holiday season. But, reports are surfacing that these products may not be safe. There have been reports of the hoverboard exploding and causing injuries and property damage. One Louisiana family says their hoverboard caused a fire and burned down their home.

In this case, the product apparently exploded when it was charging. The board in question came from Fiturbo and was ordered via Amazon. It works on lithium batteries and was being charged with a charger the company had provided.

The boy’s mother said the explosion was like watching fireworks. The woman also said the fire was so intense that her house was in flames within a matter of minutes. The family said they were aware of the risk of injuries from falling off the board, but never imagined that it would blow up or catch fire.

Injury Reports and Alerts

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in the last three months, the agency has received eight injury reports connected to hoverboards, which needed emergency room attention. However, each of those incidents included falls from the scooter-like devices.

The agency is encouraging consumers to report all safety concerns about hoverboards to saferproducts.gov. However, in the United Kingdom, thousands of hoverboards have been confiscated by officers at the nation’s ports following tests that uncovered safety issues in plugs, cabling, chargers, batteries and cutoff switches, according to the Guardian.

Some of the devices are at risk of overheating, which could result in fires and explosions. British retailer Halfords issued a recall last week of its own brand, the Air Runner Balance Board marketed and sold as a children’s ride-on toy. Costco issued a safety notice about the hoverboards sold at U.K stores in November warning consumers about an electrocution risk.

Be Wary of Dangerous Hoverboards

Safety officials are warning consumers this holiday season about the significant increase in the number of dangerous hoverboards that could be out in the market. If you are planning on purchasing a hoverboard for your loved one this holiday season, please be sure to look into where it’s coming from and who is making the parts including the battery and chargers.

Our hoverboard defect attorneys recently filed a lawsuit against manufacturers of e-cigarettes and part makers in  connection with an incident where one of the devices exploded and left our client with severe facial injuries. We understand the dangers defective lithium batteries, charges or electrical parts can pose to consumers.