Kimberly C. Barron has filed a lawsuit against TCL Communication, Inc., alleging severe injuries from a defective smartphone battery. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on November 17, 2025. Barron claims that the TCL ION X Smartphone, purchased from a Walmart Supercenter in San Angelo, Texas, caused her significant harm due to its faulty lithium-ion battery.
The lawsuit details that Barron bought the smartphone in September 2023 and experienced an incident just two months later, on November 23, 2023. While charging the phone overnight, it overheated and inflicted first- and third-degree burns on her lower back. Barron accuses TCL Communication of negligence and strict liability for designing and selling a product with known risks of overheating and potential explosion due to thermal runaway—a condition where lithium-ion batteries can become dangerously unstable.
Barron’s legal team argues that TCL’s products were defectively designed and lacked adequate safety features like temperature sensors or voltage regulators that could have prevented such incidents. The complaint also highlights that safer alternative designs were available but not implemented by TCL. The plaintiff seeks compensation for medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, and diminished quality of life resulting from her injuries.
The court filing requests damages exceeding $75,000 and includes demands for interest, costs of suit, attorneys’ fees, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court. The case is represented by attorneys Collen A. Clark and R. Connor Barbe from Clark Von Plonski Anderson in Dallas, Texas, along with Adam J. Kress and Anna R. Rick from Johnson Becker PLLC in St. Paul, Minnesota. The case is presided over under Case ID: 6:25-cv-92-H.
Source: 625cv00092_Kimberly_Barron_v_TCL_Communication_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Texas.pdf
