Apple class action over defective Apple Watches trimmed but to proceed

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Update:

• A federal judge in California removed claims from a class action lawsuit accusing Apple of knowingly selling Apple Watches with a defect that causes their screens to shatter. 
• U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam Jr. removed warranty breach claims and a request for equitable relief but kept allegations Apple knew about the defect and had a duty to disclose it to consumers. 
• A group of 12 consumers argue Apple knowingly sold First Generation, Series 1 through 6 and Series SE Apple Watches containing a defect that causes their screens to shatter or crack while allegedly concealing it from consumers.
• In removing the request for equitable relief, Judge Gilliam ruled Apple already has an equitable remedy at law for the harms it allegedly committed. 

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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