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Samsung has a bad run lately with several of its products. The most publicized recall is with its Galaxy Note7 Smartphone, recalled because the lithium-ion battery has the potential for overheating, catching on fire, and causing major burns. However, in the last week, there has also been a rather large recall of 34 models of Samsung top loading washing machine. For those owning these machines manufactured between March 2011 and November 2016, Samsung has issued a recall due to an assembly fault that can cause such violent vibration the machine top or parts can suddenly detach during use and cause injury.

For the phone recall, Samsung estimates approximately 1 million Note7 smartphones are believed to have been affected by this product defect. Colors included in the recall are blue coral, black onyx, silver titanium and gold platinum. Defective phones have “Samsung” printed on the front of the phone at the top and the back of the phone reads “Galaxy Note7”. They would have been purchased from August 2016 to September 2016 from electronics and phone carrier retail stores, including but not limited to Verizon, Sprint, Best Buy, T-Mobile, AT&T, US Cellular, www.samsung.com. At the time of the recall, there had been 92 batteries reported with overheating problems. In the United States, twenty-six of these had resulted in personal injury burns and fifty-five with property damage including clothing, handbags, garages and cars. Sales of all Samsung Galaxy Note7 have been stopped.

Samsung advises that Galaxy Note7 smartphone owners stop using their devices immediately, and to turn off the recalled phones. All commercial airlines are prohibiting these devices on any flights (even if they are turned off), and there are specific ways owners are being asked to return their phones. To find out if your phone is included in the recall, simply locate the IMEI number on the back of the phone or packaging and enter this number into the online registration form at www.samsung.com. Or, you may also call Samsung at 844-365-6197 to request more information.

For the washing machine recall, Samsung estimates approximately 2.4 million units are affected. A lawsuit filed against Samsung in a New Jersey court claimed that a support rod was coming loose when heavier loads were washed using faster cycles, jarring other parts loose and flying through the top of the machine. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that 733 malfunctions have been reported with at least 9 personal injuries in the US alone. These injuries include a broken jaw, injured shoulder, and other impact or fall related conditions. If you suspect you have one of these machines, the model number can be checked at the CPSC website be visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/Samsung-Recalls-Top-Load-Washing-Machines. If you discover you do have an affected device, Samsung is offering two choices — free in-home repair, reinforcement of the top of the machine, and a one-year extension on the warranty, or a rebate to be used toward a new washing machine from any brand, including Samsung. For those who purchased a recalled machine in the last 30 days, a full refund is possible. More information can be obtained at www.samsung.com or by calling 844-365-6197.

Both recalls were voluntary on the part of Samsung, and a lengthy apology was recently published in full page ads in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Washington Post in an effort to reduce the damage done to its reputation. “An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise. For this we are truly sorry,“ stated Gregory Lee, the president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America. For the full text of the apology letter, visit Samsung’s site at

http://www.samsung.com/uk/note7exchange/customernotice/openletter.html?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000279.

Analysts in the know expect Samsung to record a loss of over $913 million in profits for the phone recall alone. http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/28/samsung-news-galaxy-note-7-recall-expected-to-have-temporary-impact-on-earnings.html. However, we are told not to worry too much about the longevity of Samsung. The company as a whole reported earnings in 2015 of approximately $178.6 billion.

This would be a good time to mention that you should absolutely bookmark the CPSC’s list of recalls. There’s plenty more about all recalled products and this information could help keep you and your family safe from dangerous products. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls.

If you have been injured by any product and would like information regarding whether a legal claim exists against the manufacturer or retailer or another person, the attorneys of Syfrett, Dykes & Furr can help. Contact us at (850) 795-4979 for a free consultation.

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