The family of a Texas toddler who purportedly suffered lifelong hearing loss as a result of an Amber Alert on Apple’s AirPod wireless headphones has sued the firm.
Parents Carlos Gordoa and Ariani Reyes, as well as their son B.G., filed a complaint in federal court in San Jose, California, alleging that the AirPods are faulty because they broadcast notifications at unsafe volume regardless of the volume set by the user. They accused the corporation of fraud and excessive negligence.
A request for comment from Apple was not immediately returned.
The accident occurred in May 2020, while B.G., then 12, was viewing Netflix on his iPhone while wearing an AirPod attached to the phone in his right ear, according to the lawsuit.
B.G. ‘s eardrum was ruptured and his inner ear was harmed after an Amber Alert, which alerts users about missing and abducted children, unexpectedly created an ear-shattering sound level. As a result of this, B.G. According to the complaint, she has irreversible hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as dizziness and the need to use a hearing aid.
According to the family, Apple was aware that their AirPods played very loud warnings due to internet complaints dating back to 2019 from consumers who complained that the alert volume did not match the loudness of the material being played.
“This boy’s life has been severely altered because Apple did not provide a warning about the volume levels of its AirPods, leading to his permanent hearing loss,” said Tej Paranjpe of PMR Law, a family lawyer.
