How Do Hoverboards Work?

Hoverboards have a few basic components:

  • a gyroscope to determine the pitch or balance of the board;
  • motors that keep the board balanced and move it forward;
  • microprocessors to manage power output to the motors, and
  • large lithium ion batteries to fuel the scooter.

In order to keep the hoverboard upright, microprocessors in the device monitor the direction a rider is leaning. The gyroscopes, which are connected to the microprocessors, gather information about the tilt of the board. Motors inside the board change power output to keep the rider upright.

Why Do Hoverboards Explode?

In most cases, hoverboards explode because they come equipped with a defective battery. There is a huge difference in the quality and price of the various hoverboards on the market. Until Amazon’s recent decision to ban several types of hoverboards over safety concerns, models ranged from $300 to $700 each, with the low-end versions being manufactured without much quality control.

Are Hoverboards Legal?

Not everywhere. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has declared hoverboards illegal and warned people that they could be fined or face other punishment if they’re caught riding them in the street. Self-balancing scooters and other motorized transporters are also banned from sidewalks and public roads in the United Kingdom.

Hoverboard Fires

According to a CBS report, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating at least 10 incidences of hoverboard fires in 9 states. Many of the electric scooters have large high-watt lithium batteries, which can explode and catch fire without warning.

Has There Been a Recall?

In July 2016, the CPSC issued a recall for more than 500,000 hoverboards from 10 different companies. The recall followed at least 99 reports of the battery packs in hoverboards catching fire or exploding. The agency has investigated over 60 hoverboard fires in 60 states, which together caused more than $2 million in property damages.
Products affected by the recall include:

  • Swagway X1 model
  • Razor Hovertrax
  • Airwalk Self Balancing Electric Scooter
  • iMoto
  • Hype Roam
  • Wheeli
  • 2Wheelz
  • Back to the Future
  • Mobile Tech
  • Hover Shark
  • NWS
  • X Glider
  • X Rider

Is There a Class Action?

Our firm is not currently litigating a hoverboard class action lawsuit. Class actions are most effective when plaintiffs are only seeking compensation for economic losses, and are not appropriate for personal injury claims since each plaintiff will have suffered different injuries. For this reason, our lawyers are only accepting potential individual lawsuits for people who were injured by a hoverboard. Any complaint filed will be done so based on your injuries and your damages alone. We would be seeking compensation for the physical injuries you sustained in a hoverboard accident. Any money obtained from an individual case is not divided among other people injured by the same product, it belongs to the individual.

High-Tech Hoverboards Linked to Fire Hazard: CPSC Warning

The CPSC is warning consumers not to purchase New High-Tech X1-5 hoverboards after reports surfaced of the lithium-ion batteries overheating, which poses a risk of fire that can lead to smoke inhalation or other severe bodily injury, including death. The agency has asked New High Tech Enterprise Company Inc. to recall the product, but the company has refused to do so.

Milwaukee Family Claims Hoverboard Fire Destroyed Their Home on Christmas Day

A husband and wife from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, got the surprise of a lifetime on Christmas day when they say a hoverboard they bought as a gift for their 7-year-old daughter went up in flames, igniting a fire that destroyed their home. The incident comes less than 2 months after the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a second recall for hoverboards after reports surfaced of the devices’ battery packs overheating and exploding.

CPSC Issues 2nd Recall on Hoverboards Over Fire / Explosions

CPSC is recalling hoverboards from several companies for a 2nd time over concerns the devices could catch fire or explode. The alert followed at least 2 reports of fire associated with LayZ Board hoverboards, the most recent of which destroyed one home and damaged 4 others last month, CPSC said. It follows a fatal house fire in March.

iRover Recalls Hoverboards Over Fire / Explosion Risk

iRover is recalling 2 models of hoverboards over concerns that their lithium ion batteries can overheat, catch fire and explode. Affected devices were sold at Fallas Discount Stores in Los Angeles, CA., as well as at TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores across the U.S. from December 2015 through April 2017 for between $300 and $400.

Charging Hoverboard Sparks Fire in San Diego Home

A charging hoverboard started a fire on Saturday at a home in the resort city of Coronado in San Diego County. The hoverboard fire caused smoke to fill the house and soot to cover all the walls and furnishings, leading to an estimated $22,500 in damages, according to Coronado Fire Battalion Chief Perry Peake.

CPSC Issues Warning on LayZ Board Hoverboards After House Fire Kills 2 Children

After a Pennsylvania house fire sparked by an exploding hoverboard killed 2 young girls, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued a warning against using or charging Chinese-made LayZ Board hoverboards. More than 3,000 of the products have been imported into the U.S., the agency said.

Hoverboard Manufacturer Sues Jennifer Lopez

The Sidekick Group has filed a lawsuit against Jennifer Lopez for her alleged failure to promote the company’s hoverboards. According to the suit, Sidekick in 2015 sent “J Lo” 42 custom hoverboards as props for her Planet Hollywood show in Las Vegas in exchange for her agreeing to promote the devices at least once every 3 months on her personal Instagram or Twitter pages. The company claims Lopez only sent one Tweet plugging the hoverboards.

Hoverboard Fire Deaths Prompt CPSC Investigation

A fire sparked by a malfunctioning hoverboard that claimed the life of two children last week has prompted an investigation by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). 10-year-old Savannah Dominick died on Thursday as a result of burns to 95% of her body from the hoverboard fire, and the first victim, 3-year-old Ashanti Hughes, died the night of the fire.

Hoverboard Fire Caused Toddler’s Death, Authorities Say

A fire that killed a 3-year-old girl and critically injured 2 others appears to have been sparked by a recharging hoverboard, according to CBS News. The coroner’s office in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, said that Ashanti Hughes was pronounced dead just after 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Another victim jumped from a second-floor porch to escape the blaze, and 2 others were rescued by firefighters.

Exploding Hoverboard Blamed for Christmas Night Fire in Connecticut

A toy hoverboard appears to be the cause of a Christmas night fire in New Haven, Connecticut, that displaced four people and sent one to the hospital. Battalion Chief Ben Vargas told the New Haven Register that the hoverboard fire was limited to one room of the second-floor unit in the Farnham Court apartments and was quickly extinguished. All four apartment occupants were adults; one was hospitalized after complaining of difficulty breathing, possibly from smoke inhalation.

Orbit Hoverboards Recalled Over Fire Risk

World Trading has issued a recall for about 1,900 Orbit hoverboards / self-balancing scooters over concerns that the lithium-ion battery packs can overheat, posing a risk of smoking, catching fire and/or exploding. The hoverboards were sold on Evine’s televised shopping programs and online in December 2015 for about $300.

Tennessee Family Files Hoverboard Lawsuit Against Amazon

A family from Nashville has filed a products liability lawsuit against Amazon after their million-dollar home was allegedly destroyed by a fire caused by lithium-ion batteries inside a hoverboard they purchased in January. Two of the family’s children were at home at the time of the fire and had to escape by breaking windows and jumping from the second floor. The home and most of the family’s belongings went up in flames, according to the lawsuit.

Do I Have a Hoverboard Lawsuit?

The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in hoverboard lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury cases in all 50 states.

Again, if you or a loved one was injured in a hoverboard accident, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

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