Legal News

The CPSC has given consumers yet one more reason not to purchase counterfeit goods. On August 10, the Commission announced a recall of counterfeit BlackBerry®-branded cell phone batteries in refurbished devices distributed by Asurion, of Smyrna, Tennessee. The CPSC recommends that consumers stop using the recalled products immediately.

The batteries recalled are about 470,000 units of BlackBerry®-branded batteries provided with refurbished Blackberry®-branded devices. The refurbished devices were sent to consumers by the company through a handset protection program from Asurion, nationwide, from March 2004 through October 2009. The recalled batteries can overheat, causing burn and fire hazards. Asurion has received two reports of overheating, where the batteries caused minor burns to a consumer's finger and minor property damage to a sofa and car seat.

The recalled batteries can be found in almost all models of refurbished BlackBerry devices distributed by Asurion prior to November 1, 2009. Genuine Blackberry-branded batteries are not included in this recall.

Consumers who received refurbished BlackBerry devices through the Asurion handset protection program should immediately stop using the product and contact Asurion for a replacement. Asurion is directly contacting known consumers with the affected batteries to notify them of the recall.

For more information about the recall, consumers may contact Asurion toll-free at (866) 384-9175 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.001batex.com.

CPSC would like to receive further reports from consumers regarding incidents or injuries that are either directly related to this product recall, or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please make a report to the CPSC by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

Related Resources:

• Fake BlackBerry Batteries Prompt Recall, May Pose Fire and Burn Hazard (NewsInferno)
• Consumer Product Recalls (FindLaw)
• General Buying Tips - Product Safety Recalls (FindLaw)
• CPSC Recalls HP Batteries for Fire Hazard (FindLaw's Common Law)
• Personal Injuries from Dangerous or Defective Products (provided by Mills Law Firm, LLC)
• Personal Injury FAQ (provided by Sherman Law, PLLC)