Thai public prosecutors have filed a civil suit against Finnish cellphone company Nokia, seeking compensation for a phone that allegedly exploded, crippling its user, media reports said on Monday.
The suit was filed against Nokia (Thailand) on Friday on the recommendation of the Consumer Protection Board, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) confirmed.
OAG spokesperson Sirisak Tiyaphan told The Nation newspaper that the case was accepted one day before the one-year stature of limitations expired.
The claimant, 50-year-old Prasit Sriseeluang, is seeking one million baht ($26 315) in damages for injuries he sustained on March 12, 2004.
Prasit, a welder, was allegedly working near a high-voltage power pole when his Nokia 3310 handphone rang and then exploded.
His right leg and five toes on his left foot were amputated as a result of the accident.
While Nokia has denied the accident was due to faulty parts in the phone, the Consumer Protection Board insists it was triggered by the phone’s proximity to the high-voltage power source, a danger that consumers should be warned of. – Sapa-DPA