Samsung and Toshiba have both been hit by battery woes. Now it’s HP’s turn. HP has issued a new recall for more than 100,000 batteries for a potential overheating concern that could cause the batteries to explode. No known cases of explosion from HP batteries has been reported, but given the recent trouble, they are doing it out of an abundance of caution.
The Problems of Lithium-ion Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries are used in millions of devices, but like all batteries, they have a fatal flaw. The more energy you can pack into a battery, the more energy it can release when there is a short circuit. A small defect can cause resistance in the flow of current and cause the battery to heat. As the battery heats up, parts weaken and eventually fail. If a battery fails while charged, the result can be explosive.
Samsung and Toshiba
Samsung had to withdraw the Galaxy Note 7 from store shelves because both of its battery manufacturers created defects that caused the devices to explode. Toshiba reported that some people were getting burned by its laptop batteries, so it issued a recall as well.
Our demand for devices that can run for 8+ hours has put incredible pressure on electronics manufacturers to create better batteries, but until they can control the heat problem or the risk of explosion, there will be a danger of this happening. If you feel your battery is getting excessively hot, is leaking, or is otherwise malfunctioning, cease using the battery and get a replacement.
Have you been burned by a laptop battery? Let us put you in touch with a burn lawyer in your area. Call the number at the top of your screen for more information.
