Baby’s estate files suit against Wal-Mart, Microsoft over hot Xbox

Remember those Xbox power cord recalls back in February 2005? Another lawsuit was filed in May 2007 concerning a fire caused by a hot Xbox.

According to the Herald-Whig, Wal-Mart and Microsoft is being sued by the estate of an infant who died in a house fire in December 2004, allegedly caused by an overheated Xbox.

The suit, filed by Jennifer Kline of Keokuk, IO, seeks unspecified damages and mentions an Xbox 360 system though, as the article points out, the fire was prior to the release of the Xbox 360. For you legal junkies, here’s where you start to debate that single detail and the larger ramifications for the Klines’ case.

From an InformationWeek article:

“Our sympathy is with the family,” the spokesman said in the e-mail. “However, we are not aware of any evidence that an XBox caused the fire. Also, the complaint specifically states an XBox 360 was involved, but this version of the product was unavailable for purchase at that time.”

A case management hearing will be held July 17, 2007.

Interestingly, a November 24, 2006, article in the Express-News quotes Judy Callese of the Consumer Protection Safety Commission concerning warm game system complaints:

“Since the beginning of 2000, there have been 226 incidents reported involving electronic game systems. Of those, 107 indicated some form of overheating or fire, and 15 of those indicating overheating or fire reported an injury.”

I’m guessing the reason the Xbox 360 power supply is so dern loud is the cooling system and power protection system.

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