Lawsuit Alleges Stainless Steel Apple Watch Band Poses Burn Injury Risks

Apple Watch lawsuit claims the stainless steel Milanese Loop band for the smartwatch can conduct heat and trap hot liquid against the wearer’s wrist due to its mesh design and magnetic clasp.

A Texas woman has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging that a stainless steel Apple Watch band created a dangerous burn hazard by trapping scalding liquid against her skin, resulting in a severe injury that required emergency medical treatment.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Zdenka Wilcox in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on March 10, naming Apple Inc. as the sole defendant.

The Apple Watch is promoted as a wearable device designed to help users monitor health, track fitness and stay connected throughout the day. The watch can record heart rate, sleep patterns and physical activity, while also allowing users to place calls, send messages and make contactless payments directly from their wrist.

However, numerous issues have been associated with devices since its launch. Earlier this year, a woman filed a product liability lawsuit alleging that the lithium-ion battery in an Apple Watch Series 9 overheated while she was wearing it at work, causing a second-degree burn to her wrist.

Similar battery-related problems have also been the subject of prior litigation. In 2024 Apple agreed to pay $20 million to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging that battery overheating and swelling in Apple Watch Series 0, 1, 2 and 3 devices can cause screens to crack or detach, creating a risk of cuts and other injuries.

In Wilcox’s case, the lawsuit focuses on a different alleged defect, claiming the design of Apple’s Gold Milanese Loop stainless steel band can retain heat and trap hot liquids against the wearer’s skin, increasing the severity of burn injuries.

According to the complaint, Wilcox purchased an Apple Watch Series 9 equipped with the Gold Milanese Loop band from Apple’s Southlake Town Square retail store in Southlake, Texas.

On August 7, 2025, Wilcox was wearing the watch while preparing coffee with a French press at home when pressurized hot liquid escaped and splashed onto her wrist and other parts of her body.

The lawsuit indicates that areas of skin not covered by the watch band suffered only minor superficial burns. However, the portion of her wrist covered by the stainless steel band allegedly sustained a far more serious injury.

Wilcox claims the metal mesh band and magnetic clasp trapped hot liquid against her skin, causing a deep partial-thickness second-degree burn beneath the band. The burn later became infected and required treatment at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Grapevine, Texas, according to the filing.

The filing alleges that stainless steel conducts heat more readily than materials commonly used in watch bands, such as silicone, nylon or leather, and that the band’s mesh design and magnetic clasp allowed hot liquid to become trapped against her wrist.

The lawsuit argues that the risk was foreseeable because Apple markets the Apple Watch and its bands for continuous everyday wear, including during routine activities such as preparing food or beverages.

“The Milanese Loop stainless steel band is defectively designed because its metal construction and clasp geometry conduct and retain heat and trap hot liquid against the wearer’s skin.”

— Zdenka Wilcox v. Apple Inc.

The lawsuit raises allegations of strict products liability — design defect, failure to warn and negligence. It is seeking damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, physical impairment and other losses related to the injury.

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