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Vigil held for two girls killed in Hellertown fire
Mourners gathered in Hellertown to honor the two young girls, 15-year-old Brianna Baer and 10-year-old Abigail Kaufman, who died in a house fire on April 1.
HELLERTOWN, Pa. - A fire that claimed the lives of two young girls in Northampton County earlier this year is now the catalyst for a federal lawsuit against Walmart and a company that makes hoverboards.
Brianna Baer, 15, and Abigail Kaufman, 10, died in a house fire in the early hours of April 1.
Authorities say the fire broke out just before 1 a.m. on the 600 block of Linden Street in Hellertown.
According to the law firm Kline & Specter, who is representing the girls' parents, the lawsuit was filed against Walmart and Jetson Electric Bikes, alleging that a hoverboard made by Jetson Electric and purchased at Walmart was marketed towards children, but had a "defective and unreasonably dangerous design" that caused it to go up in flames.
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The suit also alleges Jetson Electric knew or should have known that the hoverboard could short-circuit and cause fires while charging.
"We intend to hold the seller and the manufacturer of this dangerous product responsible for the deaths of two innocent young children, and in doing so, seek to prevent future preventable injury, death and grief from occurring," Tom Kline of Kline & Spector said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.