Two women are suing Google over Fitbit burn injuries, arguing a previous recall should have included the firm's other smartwatch models

Zahra Tayeb
Updated ·2 min read
Fitbit
Fitbit's previous recall of its Ionic Smartwatch was not enough, according to the claimants.fitbit

  • Google is being sued by two women over its Fitbit smartwatches, court filings show.

  • The fitness firm previously 1.7 million of its Ionic Smartwatch over safety concerns.

  • But the claimants argue other models of Fitbit smartwatches have caused burn injuries.

Two women are suing Google over its Fitbit smartwatches, claiming models that weren't included in a recent recall had caused burns.

The Google-owned fitness firm previously recalled its Ionic Smartwatch in March, after at least 115 burn injuries were reported by those wearing it. Fitbit called back around 1.7 million Ionic watches, warning that the lithium-ion battery in the device could overheat and cause burns.

In court filings seen by Insider, first reported by Bloomberg, Fitbit customers Jenny Houtchens and Samantha Ramirez claimed Google's past recall was insufficient because "the same defect exists throughout all" Fitbit smartwatches. The lawsuit was filed Friday in the US District Court of Northern California.

Houtchens claims the Versa Lite model she owned had burned her daughter's wrist, while Ramirez alleged the firm's Versa 2 smartwatch had scalded her wrist. The women's suit cited social media posts and photos of people who have claimed they were burned by wearing a Fitbit to prove their case.

"Reasonable consumers, like plaintiffs, purchase the products to burn calories – not their skin," lawyers acting on behalf of the women wrote. Both are seeking a refund of the price of their Fitbits and a reimbursal of their legal costs.

The Ionic wasn't the first Fitbit product scrutinized for causing injuries to consumers. In 2014, Fitbit halted sales and recalled a million of its Fitbit Force smartwatches over reports related to skin irritation.

Fitbit is not the only company to face claims over product hazardousness. Last year, Apple was hit with a class-action lawsuit where claimants argued that an Apple Watch defect caused owners' screens to crash and expose "razor-sharp edges."

Google did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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