Cell Phone 'Exploded,' Burned NJ Woman As She Watched TV: Lawsuit

A New Jersey woman said flames from her cell phone shot up from her lap, burning her chest and face while she was watching TV one night. Now she's suing the company, saying that the phone exploded with no warning, according to a lawsuit.

Irene Hawn, who says she was burned in the September 2016 incident by her Samsung Galaxy S5 cell phone, and her husband, William, have filed against Samsung and its subsidiaries, according to nj.com. Hawn says she was left with severe injuries, including first-degree burns to her right hand, chest and pubic.

The Cumberland County couple, who said they purchased new from an AT&T store in Vineland, tossed the phone in the kitchen sink and ran water to douse the flames. Hawn's husband vomited after inhaling smoke from the burning device, which was about a year old at the time, Hawn's attorney, Daniel Rosner, told nj.com.

Efforts to obtain comment from Samsung were not immediately successful.

Rosner wants to hear from others who have had similar problems with the Galaxy S5, according to nj.com, saying he can be reached at 1-800-230-4750.

Samsung has had problems before. The phone maker dealt with defective Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in 2016 that began exploding, according to Business Insider. A battery malfunction was threatening to permanently damage both its business and its reputation, and its mobile sales were down 15 percent by October 2016, according to the Business Insider.

NJ.com did an online search showing a few claims of fires involving this model, including a pregnant woman who told a UK news outlet that she suffered burns to her hand while the phone was charging.

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