Apple sued after iPod touch 'exploded' in boy's trousers

Apple has been sued by the mother of a 15-year-old boy who said his 16GB iPod touch exploded in his trouser pocket, burning his leg.

Ars Technica spotted the case, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Apparently one day in school, the boy "heard a loud pop and immediately felt a burning sensation in his leg," according to the complaint. (Click here for a PDF copy.)

According to the complaint, the boy "realized his Apple iTouch (sic) had exploded and caught on fire in his pocket. ....Plaintiff A. V. immediately ran to the bathroom and took off his burning pants with the assistance of a friend. The Apple iTouch had burned through Plaintiff A. V.'s pants pocket and melted through his Nylon/Spandex underwear, burning his leg."

The plaintiff suffered second-degree burns as a result of the explosion, according to the complaint, and is seeking in excess of $225,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. An Apple representative said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

Mobile device explosions causing injuries are unfortunately an old story, but in many cases those explosions can be traced to faulty phone batteries that are often cheap knock-offs added by the user. The battery on the iPod touch, however, is not replaceable by the user.