Amazon sued over home loss

A FAMILY is suing Amazon (亞馬遜公司) for selling a hoverboard blamed for starting a fire that burned their US$1m (HK$7.8m) home in the US city of Nashville (納什維爾).

The Fox family’s lawyer says Amazon had information about the dangers of the product before the fire on 9 January. The lawsuit targets 10 defendants, including Amazon and retailers on its website.

According to the lawsuit, the listed seller of the two-wheeled motorised scooter, W-Deals, is a sham business registered to a New York City apartment and has not responded to lawyers. It also claims the family was sold a counterfeit product from China.

The family is seeking US$30m in damages, plus possible additional financial penalties. Amazon said it does not comment on pending cases.

Earlier, it was reported that more than 500,000 hoverboards were recalled for potential hazards. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission received numerous reports of hoverboard battery packs that exploded or caught fire, causing injuries such as burns to the neck, legs or arms. There were also cases of property damages.

Videos and photos of hoverboards on . re or spewing smoke show up frequently on the internet. Many airlines, railroads and college campuses have banned them, citing safety concerns.

In Hong Kong, a flat in a Choi Hung public housing estate was burned last December when an electric hoverboard exploded while being charged.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 2 November 2016)

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