A woman from Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com, Inc., alleging that a defective heating pad purchased from the online retail giant caused her severe injuries. Tracy Brooks lodged the complaint in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County on an unspecified date, seeking damages in excess of $50,000.
According to the complaint, Tracy Brooks purchased a "SeptyWarm" medium-sized electric heating pad for back pain relief from Amazon's online marketplace on July 25, 2023. The product was manufactured by Hangzhou Lanku Technology Co. Ltd., doing business as "SeptyWarm," and bore an ASIN number BOCIVJY4TK. Brooks claims that on August 26, 2023, while using the heating pad as intended to alleviate nighttime back pain, she suffered a third-degree burn to her buttocks and left hip area due to excessively high temperatures generated by the device.
Brooks' legal team argues that Amazon is strictly liable for selling a product with latent defects that made it unreasonably dangerous for consumer use. The complaint lists multiple allegations against Amazon, including failure to incorporate adequate safety features such as an operable automatic shutoff mechanism and sufficient warnings or instructions for safe usage. The plaintiff asserts that these failures led directly to her injuries.
The lawsuit also accuses Amazon of negligence in several respects: selling a product with unreliable components, failing to conduct timely inspections or adequate testing, and not monitoring the performance of consumer products sold through its platform. Brooks contends that Amazon's negligence resulted in her sustaining severe injuries and suffering great pain, mental anguish, and disfigurement. She also claims significant financial losses due to medical expenses and reduced earning capacity.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages exceeding $50,000 for medical costs, lost earnings, and other related expenses, Brooks demands a jury trial. Her attorneys argue that Amazon should be held accountable for allowing such a dangerous product to reach consumers without proper safeguards.
Representing Tracy Brooks is Michael Balzarini of Balzarini & Watson law firm based in Pittsburgh. The case has been assigned Case ID No. GD 24-000173 in the Civil Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.