Judge rejects $20M Apple Watch settlement for lack of info

Update: 

• A California federal judge did not preliminarily approve a $20 million Apple settlement that would end claims it sold certain Apple Watches with a design flaw that caused their screens to crack, detach and shatter. 
• The judge ruled the settlement did not provide enough evidence about the settlement’s value and how it would compare to what consumers would be entitled to if they were to reach deals from their claims individually.
• The proposed Apple Watch settlement calls for potentially millions of class members to receive between around $20 and $50. 
• The class action lawsuit claims Apple manufactured the Apple Watches without enough space for their internal batteries to swell, causing the screens to detach, shatter or crack.
• The judge previously trimmed claims alleging Apple knowingly sold the Apple Watches with the alleged defect but kept claims Apple knew about the defect and had a duty to disclose it. 

Apple Watch screens class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Chris Smith, Cheryl Smith, Jason Roush, Karen Smithson and Corey Pomroy filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, Inc. 
• Why: Plaintiffs claim Apple manufactured its Apple Watches with a design flaw that causes the screens to crack, detach and shatter.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

(Dec. 16, 2021)

Apple Watch screens were manufactured with a defect that can cause them to detach, crack and shatter, injuring wearers, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiffs Chris Smith, Cheryl Smith, Jason Roush, Karen Smithson and Corey Pomroy claim the watches weren’t manufactured with enough space to provide room for their internal batteries to swell, Bloomberg reports. 

“The detached, shattered or cracked screens are a material and unreasonably dangerous safety hazard,” the class action lawsuit states. 

Plaintiffs claim the reason for the design defect is due to Apple’s desire to have the product be as compact as possible.

The result of the Apple Watch breaking can cause injuries to wearers since the screens contain edges that are “razor sharp,” the class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiffs claim Apple made the watches for sale despite knowing about the defect, citing a 2015 patent which determined that battery swelling could damage the devices, Business Insider reports. 

Apple Has Admitted That “Under Very Rare Circumstances, A Crack My Form Along The Rounded Edge Of The Screen”

Apple previously addressed issues with its Apple Watch screens by offering free replacements to customers whose screens cracked on their Series 2 and 3 versions, Bloomberg reports.  

“Apple has determined that, under very rare circumstances, a crack may form along the rounded edge of the screen,” the company said on its website.

Plaintiffs claim Apple is in violation of multiple consumer protection laws, Bloomberg reports. 

The group of Apple Watch users wants to represent a nationwide class of consumers who have purchased the product from its first generation model in 2015 to last year’s version. 

A separate class action lawsuit was filed against Apple this month over allegations the company unlawfully seizes digital content and apps that have already been purchased in the event a payment method is declined during a new transaction. 

Have you been injured as a result of a damaged Apple Watch screen? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Michael Francis Ram of Morgan & Morgan. 

The Apple Watch Screens Class Action Lawsuit is Smith, et al. v. Apple, Inc., Case No. 4:21-cv-09527, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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