A lawsuit filed in Scotland regarding a house fire in 2018 has concluded. The court in Edinburgh ruled that the fire was caused by an LG mobile phone and ordered the South Korea-based tech giant to pay compensation. According to the court decision, LG will pay a total of £149,496 to the plaintiff, Denise Parks.
LG Pays Compensation for the Fired Phone
The compensation, equivalent to approximately 6 million Turkish Lira at today’s exchange rate, demonstrates that although the company has ceased phone production, it remains liable for its past products.
The fire occurred around 3:00 a.m. on October 31, 2018, in a Scottish town. That night, Denise Parks and her husband, Robert, were asleep in their home. A laptop and two mobile phones were left charging in the living room. One of these devices was a Samsung Galaxy S7 and the other was an LG K8. According to the couple, the fire started in the early morning and quickly engulfed the living room. Following a technical examination conducted by firefighters and expert reports, the source of the fire was determined to be an LG K8.
Denise Parks was hospitalized after suffering smoke inhalation. It was determined that she suffered both physical and psychological problems during her recovery, and that she missed work for a period due to panic attacks and anxiety disorders.
A significant portion of the household belongings were destroyed during the fire. The court also acknowledged that the LG device provided to Parks by the municipality where she worked was used properly, meaning there was no user error.
The court ruled that LG’s device did not meet safety standards and was technically defective. Therefore, it was held directly responsible for the fire. The company did not appeal the decision. LG had announced its complete withdrawal from the smartphone market in 2021.
However, this did not change the fact that it remains legally liable for products sold in the past. The outcome of the case once again demonstrated that the company’s cessation of smartphone operations does not absolve it of liability for past malfunctions.
