Hewlett-Packard has been instructed to pay a civil penalty of $425,000 for failing to report issues with their lithium-ion battery packs that posed burn hazards. According to an article in the Consumer Reports, HP apparently knew of 22 incidents regarding their defective products but failed to immediately report the situation to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Those incidents resulted in injuries to at least two consumers. HP reportedly conducted studies between March and April of 2007 and failed to notify the CPSC of their findings until July of 2008 by which time there were reports of 31 faulty battery packs.

Recalls and Failure to Report

Hewlett-Packard recalled approximately 32,000 lithium-ion battery packs in October of 2008. The defective batteries posed a fire and burn hazard. It is unclear how many consumers were injured or how many incidents occurred since 2008 in connection with these faulty batteries. The civil penalties resulted from HP’s failure to report their concerns because, under federal law, “manufacturers, distributors, and retailers must report to the CPSC within 24 hours after obtaining information that a product has a defect, which could create a risk of injury or death, or fails to comply with safety regulations enforced by the CPSC.”

Dangerous and Defective Products

A defective product either fails to perform its intended use or is dangerous or harmful even when used properly. A faulty product can be improperly assembled or inherently defective in its design. Victims who have suffered an injury while using such a product would be well advised to preserve the damaged product, seek immediate medical attention, and consult with an experienced product liability attorney.

Holding Product Manufacturers Accountable

In cases involving a recalled product, injured victims can pursue financial compensation for their losses either through a preexisting class action lawsuit against the product manufacturer or through a product liability claim. A product does not, however, have to be recalled for it to be considered defective. Victims injured by malfunctioning products would be well advised to contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer who has successfully handled products liability claims.