A California federal judge has certified a nationwide class action on behalf of of consumers claiming that Conair Corp. breached its implied warranty by selling them hair dryers that caught on fire.
The class is made up of consumers who purchased either a model 259 or model 279 Infiniti Pro hair dryer between Aug. 15, 2009, and the present, either directly by or through a retailer. The judge found that whether the hair dryer contained coil and cord defects that caused it to burst into flames, was a common question appropriate for certification of a nationwide class.
According to the complaint, flames emanated from the hair dryer when the plaintiff was drying her hair. She dropped the hair dryer on the floor, where it ignited her carpet, which was permanently scorched from the incident. The hair dryer continued to run even though it was plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet and was equipped with an appliance leakage current interrupter, a safety feature designed to recognize a change in the electrical current, according to the complaint. The plaintiff claims that numerous other buyers of the product complained of the same problem, but Conair failed to notify consumers or retailers that sell the hair dryer of its defect and potential dangers.