A lawsuit was filed against Apple after a boy from Texas lost his hearing when an Amber Alert blared on his AirPods wireless headphones and “tore apart” his eardrum.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Apple AirPods induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
AirPods Malfunction Causes Eardrum Rupture, Hearing Loss
In May 2022, an AirPods lawsuit was filed against Apple by the parents of a boy from Texas who suffered permanent hearing loss after an Apple AirPod wireless headphone produced an ear-shattering Amber Alert.
What Happened?
The lawsuit alleges that in May 2020, the 12-year-old boy (identified only as “B.G.” in the lawsuit) was using Apple AirPods to watch Netflix on his iPhone at a low volume.
Then suddenly, an Amber Alert went off without warning “at a volume that tore apart B.G.’s ear drum, damaged his cochlea, and caused significant injuries to B.G.’s hearing,” according to the lawsuit.
At just 12 years old, he must use a hearing aid for the rest of his life. He also has battled through tinnitus (ringing in the ears) since the incident, as well as bouts of dizziness, vertigo, nausea, and pain.
Lawsuit Claims Apple AirPods Cause Hearing Loss
The lawsuit alleges that Apple AirPods are defective because they do not automatically reduce, control or limit the volume on Amber Alerts and Notifications to a safe level, even when the volume is set low. As a result, users are caught off guard when an alert suddenly blares at maximum volume.
The Apple AirPods Lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Case Number 3:22-cv-02900.
Complaints of Hearing Damage from AirPods
The lawsuit accuses Apple of ignoring complaints and failing to warn users about this obvious risk. Here is an example: “AirPods Notifications are EXTREMELY LOUD, while other sounds are not”
This is another complaint from a user in October 2020: “Yes, please fix this! I literally threw my AirPod across the room when I got a shrill text alert while listening to peaceful music. Not cool.”
Here is yet another complaint on Reddit: “Is Apple trying to blow out my eardrums? Why are all the airpods pro notifications so loud?: “Hearing damage is irreversible and increasingly common. All it takes is one loud noise pumped directly down your ear canal.”
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
The original AirPods do not have noise-canceling features. Apple redesigned the 2nd generation, AirPods Pro, with several features that Apple claims can minimize background noise by up to 20 decibels.
In general, sounds above 85 decibels (dB) are harmful, particularly when sounds at that level are repeated and cause cumulative damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Just one incident involving an extremely loud noise (above 120 dB) can cause immediate, permanent hearing damage.
Tinnitus Reported by Dozens of AirPods Users
Tinnitus is when you think you hear a sound when there is no external noise. It is commonly described as “ringing in the ears,” but it may also be whistling, clicking, buzzing, or roaring. Dozens of people have complained about tinnitus on Apple’s Community Support website after using AirPods. This is just one example:
“I’ve noticed high pitching noise even when music wasn’t playing. … Airpods are 100% damaging your ears and Apple must do something about it.”
What is a Ruptured Eardrum?
Extremely loud noises can cause a ruptured eardrum (or “perforated eardrum”), which is when there is a hole or tear in the thin piece of tissue that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. A ruptured eardrum may cause symptoms like ear pain, hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo or a spinning sensation, nausea and vomiting due to vertigo, and more.
Symptoms of Hearing Loss & Tinnitus
- Unable to hear sounds
- Ringing in the ears
- Sensitivity to sounds
- Needing to turn up the volume on the TV, etc.
- Muffled speech and other sounds
- Trouble understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd
- Asking people to talk more slowly, clearly, or louder
AirPods Class Action Lawsuit
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm. We are currently filing individual lawsuits for people who used Apple AirPods and suffered hearing loss, tinnitus, or a ruptured eardrum. If you decide to file a lawsuit, we may able to help you seek justice, a settlement, or financial compensation for your injury, medical expenses, long-term disability, and more.
Do I have an Apple AirPods Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Apple AirPods induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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