Fitbit sued for $12.25 million after not immediately reporting a known defect in the recalled Smartwatch

Fitbit will pay a $12.25 million civil penalty after it “knowingly failed to promptly report” a defect in its Ionic smartphones that caused dozens of people to sustain burn injuries, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday ( CPSC).

Fitbit agreed to pay the penalty after reaching a settlement with the CPSC.

The commission brought charges against the company for failing to follow the law in reporting a defect that could create a product accident or cause a risk of injury or death.

Consumers began reporting overheating issues with Fitbit’s Ionic smartwatches in 2018. The reports continued into 2019 and 2020, with some consumers telling the company they suffered second- and third-degree burns on their arms or wrists from the defect.

In 2020, Fitbit rolled out a firmware update to “mitigate the potential for battery overheating,” but it didn’t stop the problem, and Burns’ reports continued to trickle in.

“Despite having information that reasonably supports the conclusion that the smartwatches contain a defect that could create a significant product accident or create an unreasonable risk of serious injury, Fitbit did not immediately report the common,” it said CPSC.

Although Fitbit stopped manufacturing Ionic smartphones in 2020, they were recalled by the CPSC and Fitbit on March 2, 2022, affecting approximately 1.7 million units worldwide.

The recall stated that there were at least 115 reports of the smartwatch’s battery overheating in the US, causing burn injuries to 78 Americans. Two people reported third-degree burns, while four reported second-degree burns.

In addition, there were 59 reports of overheating made internationally causing burn injuries to 40 people.

The settlement also requires adaptation to “maintain internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance.”

Fitbit also agreed to submit annual reports on its enhanced compliance program and internal controls, as well as an internal audit of the effectiveness of compliance policies, procedures, systems and training.