James Holder says his treatment included removing a significant amount of flesh due to the chemicals from the explosion and fire having melted into his thigh and buttock.
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A Vancouver man is alleging he was seriously injured after a defective portable battery charger he purchased at Walmart exploded and caught fire in his rear pants pocket.
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James Patrick Holder, who is suing the megastore for damages, says in his lawsuit that he bought the in-house battery charger, under the company’s “ONN” brand, on Sept. 6, 2016.
He says in the lawsuit filed in BC Supreme Court that he was at his job at a food warehouse delivery firm at the time of the incident.
“The charger exploded and caught fire, causing second- and third-degree burns to the plaintiff’s upper left thigh and left buttock,” says the suit. “The plaintiff was immediately taken to the Vancouver General Hospital burn unit where he received treatment over several days.”
Holder says his treatment included removing a significant amount of flesh due to the chemicals from the explosion and fire having melted into his thigh and buttock.
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He says he also required a skin graft, with the graft being taken from elsewhere on his body and stapled into place.
Holder required medication, including fentanyl, morphine and Tylenol 3, followed by further grafting when a portion of the initial graft did not take, as well as frequent dressing changes and follow-up visits for more treatments and the removal of staples.
“The plaintiff’s injuries forced him to remain still at home, continuing with a course of morphine and Tylenol 3. He was able to return to work with some difficulty approximately two months later and has suffered permanent and substantial scarring with permanent loss of feeling and nerve damage in the scarred area.”
His lawsuit says he was using the phone charger for the purpose and in the manner in which it was intended, and had no knowledge of any defects in the charger and no reason to suspect its defective condition.
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Walmart Canada, which is named as the defendant in the case, could not be reached for comment and has not filed a response to the lawsuit, which contains allegations that have not been tested in court.
“The defendant knew or ought to have known that the charger contained a latent defect, which, in the absence of reasonable care in the preparation, manufacture, distribution or sale of the charger, would cause injury and damage,” says Holder’s lawsuit.
Holder claims his injuries have caused him severe pain and suffering, including headaches, leg aches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, anxiety, irritability and emotional disturbances.
He is seeking general, special, aggravated and punitive damages.
“He was really quite seriously injured, unfortunately,” said lawyer William Holder, who filed the lawsuit for his son, but will be handing over conduct of the case to other counsel.
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