Apple iPad sparked house fire, lawsuit claims
A lawsuit filed in the US state of Pennsylvania against Apple has claimed that a defective iPad sparked a massive house fire, according to a report from The Register.
The complaint alleged a fire which had erupted at the home of Michael Macaluso was the direct result of one or more defects in his iPad related to the electrical or battery system in the device.
“The fire caused extensive damage to Plaintiff’s real and personal property, and caused other consequential and incidental damages including clean-up costs, repair, and other associated expenses and hardship besides,” the lawsuit stated.
Macaluso claimed that he did not modify, misuse, or alter his iPad in any way other than how Apple meant it to be handled and used.
His insurance provider, Allstate Insurance, paid over $142,000 to repair the fire damage caused to his residence.
As a result, the insurer hired law firm de Luca Levine to sue the Cupertino-based tech giant to reimburse it for the pay-out.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment from The Register.
Similar occurrences
There have been similar accounts where Apple users claimed the company’s products had malfunctioned and caused damages, injuries, or even death.
In a similar lawsuit, a complaint alleging wrongful death was filed against Apple in 2019.
The case follows a New Jersey resident Julia Ireland Meo, who lost her father in an apartment fire in February 2017, which was reportedly sparked by an iPad’s defective battery.
Consequently, the apartment complex’s owner filed a second complaint, this time through their insurance company, seeking compensation from Apple.
Both New Jersey lawsuits are currently ongoing and remain unresolved.
In the same way, Apple’s iPhones have also been blamed for causing fires.
In one recent case, 17-year old Amie Hall of Birmingham girl claimed her iPhone charger burst into flames, setting her duvet on fire while she slept.
According to reports, Hall jumped out of bed when she noticed a fire surrounding her, but sustained a facial burn before putting out the fire.
While Apple has warned owners of its devices against using unofficial chargers, Hall has insisted she used an Apple original charger.
The company said it was looking into the matter.
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