James Delahunty
30 May 2007 19:34
Situations like this have arisen a few times and it's always horrible to read or write about such tragedies. The family of an Illinois child who died in a house fire has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft Corp., claiming that a faulty Xbox 360 console was responsible. According to the lawsuit, the family is blaming the wiring between the console and an electrical outlet for starting the catastrophic fire by overheating considerably.
The lawsuit says the fire was a, "direct and proximate result of the overheating of the game's power supply and wiring". Wal-Mart and unnamed power-supply maker have been named in the lawsuit. However, it does appear that a mistake has been made somewhere, as the fire took place in December 2004, while the Xbox 360 launched in 2005.
However, before clearing Microsoft products of any blame, remember that Microsoft issued a recall for 14 million Xbox power cords in February 2005, citing fire concerns. Perhaps the lawsuit simply got the console name wrong. Whatever happened, it is a terrible tragedy. Wade Kline's family is seeking 'unspecified damages' in excess of $50,000.
Source:
The Inquirer