Tokyo couple awarded $7,400 after iPod nano burst into flames

Nikkei is reporting that Apple Japan has been ordered to pay a Tokyo couple ¥600,000 (about $7,425) for medical fees and pain and suffering after their first-generation iPod nano caught fire. The history of issues with first-generation nanos has been well-documented, leading to a recall first in Korea in 2009, then later in Japan and 19 other countries including the US. The prosecutor told Nikkei that the court rarely finds Apple at fault for these kinds of incidents in Japan.

According to the judgment, the couple purchased the device shortly after its release, in September of 2005, but an attempt to charge it in July of 2010 caused the battery to overheat, catching the device on fire, and causing burns to the wife’s hands that took a month to fully heal. A representative from Apple Japan Public Relations told Nikkei “we cannot comment without confirming with our American head office.”