HUNTSVILLE, AL - Many people use hand warmers to keep warm in winter months. One Madison County resident was doing just that—until the warmer caught on fire, leaving her severely burned. And now she’s seeking compensation.
Twenty four year-old Lauren Self filed suit Monday against Implus Footcare, the North Carolina-based company that makes the Little Hotties Hand Warmers that she says burned her.
On February 5th, Self was using the hand warmers while working outdoors as an athletic trainer. She says she put one of the hand warmers in her back pocket. She heard a pop, felt a searing pain, and realized the hand warmer had ignited into flames.
Self suffered third-degree burns on her buttocks and upper thighs, and has been out of work ever since.
Her attorney Brent Jordan explains, “For a period of time she literally couldn't even walk…Since that time, she's just been a real trooper, trying to work through the pain, and these very painful burn follow up procedures that she's having to undergo."
Self and her lawyer are seeking monetary damages for what they believe is an unreasonably dangerous product.
They're also asking the company to recall Little Hotties Hand Warmers until the company pinpoints the problem.
WAAY31 spoke with Implus Footcare CEO Seth Richards. He says his company has no knowledge of the incident and lawsuit.
Self's lawyer says his client was using the product correctly. His legal team will consult with experts to determine how, exactly, that hand warmer caught on fire.
Because of the sensitive nature of her burns, the plaintiff did not want us to display any images of her injuries.
