Dell Sued in Canada Over Defective Batteries

Dell has been slapped by a class action suit in Canada over its issues with Sony laptop batteries last year. An Ontario resident alleges the company continued to sell certain models even after it knew they were susceptible to overheating.

In August 2006, Dell recalled 4.1 million batteries over the issue, and the fallout damaged both the company's stock value and overall image. The company has attempted to make up for the issue, and there were rumors that the company and others would go after Sony for compensation.

Inspiron models 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160 are part of the suit, which asks Dell's Canadian unit to either replace the units, or cover all costs associated with repairs. Lawyers for the case say that most of the problems are occurring outside of the warranty period.

"I do not believe that I should be forced to spend hundreds of dollars to fix the defective motherboard when Dell should have known about this problem at the time they initially sold the computer," Thad Griffin, the head plaintiff said in an interview with the Canadian TV network CBC.

Law firm Rochon Genova has taken the case, and claims that it has received a "steady flow" of complaints. However, Dell remains mum on the latest suit. The company's policy is to not comment on pending litigation.