Man injured when 

cell phone screen shatters

 

CEDAR HILL — A North Texas man talking on his cell phone was rushed to a hospital after his phone apparently exploded Thursday morning.

Aron Embry was at Ray Elementary in Cedar Hill at the time of the incident. The man said he had just finished a call when he said he heard a loud "pop."

He then felt something trickling down his face; it was blood.

His ear then began to bleed profusely, and he was immediately taken to the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. He received four stitches, but said there was no hearing loss.

The glass on the face of the Motorola Droid smartphone apparently shattered. He said he had just purchased it just two days ago.

"Once I got to the mirror and saw it, it was only then I kind of looked at my phone and realized that the screen had appeared to burst outward," he said.

The phone still appears to be functioning, and its battery was intact.

 

Family members said they plan to contact the manufacturer of the phone and Verizon about the incident.

On Thursday evening, Motorola issued this statement:

"Motorola's priority is, and always has been the safety of our customers, and all Motorola products are designed, manufactured and tested to meet or exceed international and local standards for consumer safety. We will reach out to the consumer and investigate this thoroughly."

While an exploding phone is rare, it is not unique.

Just a few months ago, a 23-year-old man died after his phone exploded in North India.

Most reports of exploding phones happen when they are in charging mode, which was the case in China. The phone of a 27-year-old housewife exploded while she was talking to her husband as the phone was being charged. She too was killed.

There was another incident reported in Wyoming a few years ago. A 19-year-old co-ed suffered second to third-degree burns while sleeping. Her phone had been charging near her when it caught fire. She was injured while trying to extinguish the fire.

It was in direct response to the Wyoming case that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued warnings for cell phone users. Among tips released by the CPSC were making sure your cell phone is compatible with your battery. Also, it warned users to keep batteries away from metal objects while phones are not in use. Phones should also be kept away from liquids and users should be careful that they do not overheat.

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