EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Court of Appeals overturned a trial court’s decision to block a multimillion dollar settlement after a man sued Samsung for one of their batteries exploding in his pocket.
Jordan Brewer, a South Georgia resident, sued Samsung in 2020 after a battery in his e-cigarette device exploded while in his pocket.
The device was purchased in 2019, according to Brewer’s complaint in court, and he was not given any warnings or instructions about the device or its batteries by employees at the store.
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Six months later, Brewer was injured when it exploded.
He sued Samsung and two other defendants, saying the company had negligently designed, made and sold the battery used in the e-cigarette but failed to warn of the risks and harms associated with it, leading to a serious injury.
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At trial, a judgment was awarded in Brewer’s favor, and he was given the amount of $10.86 million as “general and special damages, past and future,” according to the court.
Samsung appealed, arguing that the venue was improper but did not do so within 45 days of the case’s conclusion.
In 2022, the appeal moved forward and a judge granted Samsung’s motion to set aside the damage award due to the “limited evidence in the record” and the amount, as well as the judgment’s “failure to break down the types of damages awarded.”
However, Brewer appealed on the grounds that Samsung “had failed at every step to follow its own procedure in this case” and had not followed up with Brewer’s attorney, had not send documents promised in a timely fashion and did not claim it was not the responsible party until after judgment was entered.
Samsung also failed to obtain a voluntary dismissal, according to court records.
The appeals court vacated a trial court order granting Samsung’s motion to set aside the judgment, ruling that the trial court had made an improper ruling to shift the burden of proof from Samsung to Brewer.
On Monday, the appeals court ruled against Samsung, affirming the judgment in Brewer’s favor, meaning his more than $10 million award remains in place.
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