A class-action lawsuit against Apple claims that an Apple Watch defect caused owners' screens to crack and expose 'razor-sharp' edges

• A group of Apple Watch customers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple.
• It claims Apple didn't allow enough room to compensate for a battery defect that breaks the screen.

A group of Apple Watch owners are launching a class-action lawsuit against Apple, claiming it knew about a defect that causes some Apple Watches to crack.

The plaintiffs claim that even though Apple was aware the batteries inside Apple Watches can suddenly swell, it didn't allow sufficient space to prevent swollen batteries from pushing on the screen and cracking or shattering it to expose "razor-sharp edges."

One of the plaintiffs, Chris Smith, was gifted a Series 3 Aluminum Apple Watch by his mother in 2017, according to the lawsuit. Three years later while he was riding on a golf cart he reached down — unaware his Apple Watch had detached — and "severely sliced" his arm cutting a vein, the lawsuit states.

Smith tried to claim the watch under warranty but was denied by Apple, the lawsuit says. It also says he was told the watch was not eligible for Apple's Screen Replacement Program for Series 2 and Series 3 aluminum Apple Watches.

Smith is the only one of the five plaintiffs listed on the lawsuit who said he suffered physical injury as a result of the defect. The others said they would not have bought the watch if they'd known about the defect.

The lawsuit covers all Apple Watch models except the most recent generation, the Apple Watch Series 7.

The plaintiffs claim Apple knew about the defect, citing a patent from 2015, which mentioned the possibility of battery swelling resulting in "physical damage to the device." They also cited complaints in Apple's "Support Communities" online forum.

Apple declined to comment when contacted by Insider.

This isn't the first time a customer has taken legal action against Apple over an alleged swollen battery. A New Jersey woman filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Apple in 2019. In the suit, she claimed the screen of her Apple Watch Series 3 detached from the watch's main body and cracked after the battery became swollen.

Macrumors reported in 2018 that Apple was aware of a battery-swelling defect. It added that the company was issuing a worldwide policy to make some Apple Watch Series 2 devices eligible for free repair up to three years after purchase.