Apple sued over Apple Watch defect that poses 'hazard to consumers'

Apple Watch Series 7
Apple Watch Series 7 (Image credit: Stephen Warwick / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple has been hit with a lawsuit over its Apple Watch.
  • Plaintiffs claim Apple Watch has a dangerous defect that can cause the screen to break or detach.
  • At least one user reportedly suffered a cut on their arm as a result.

A new lawsuit filed against Apple claims all of Apple's best Apple Watch models from first-generation to Series 6 have a dangerous defect that can injure the wearer.

Reuters reports:

Apple Inc has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that its first-generation through Series 6 Apple Watches have a defect that make their screens prone to breaking or detaching, in some cases injuring wearers. The lawsuit, filed by five individuals in San Francisco federal court on Thursday, claims that the lithium batteries in the popular wearable fitness trackers are prone to swelling, leading to the screen failures. The complaint includes a picture of a deep laceration on the arm of one plaintiff, allegedly suffered when his screen broke.

According to the suit, the defect exists in all previous versions of the Apple Watch up to but not including the Apple Watch Series 7. The suit claims there is not enough space to allow for a swelling battery, which "poses a material and unreasonable safety hazard to consumers." As noted, according to the suit at least one complainer was cut on their arm after their Apple Watch screen broke.

The prayers for relief in the case seek damages, and ask that Apple be made to disclose "the defective nature of the Apple Watch." The class covers anyone who bought an Apple Watch Series 1 through Series 6 (including the Apple Watch SE) in the United States.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9