A Massachusetts woman has filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc., alleging the company’s famed fall detection feature failed her in a life-or-death moment. Terry Lucash of Lawrence claims her Apple Watch, purchased specifically for its emergency alert technology, did not call 911 when she tumbled down her basement stairs in October 2022, leaving her unconscious with a brain bleed for more than 13 hours before help arrived.
According to the complaint, filed Friday in Middlesex County Superior Court, Lucash seeks at least $1.8 million in damages. She accuses Apple of negligence, breach of warranty, and violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law, arguing the company ignored a prior demand letter on the issue.
From Promise of Safety to a Medical Nightmare
Apple markets its fall detection system as a safeguard: if the watch senses a hard fall and the wearer remains immobile for a minute, it should sound an alarm and automatically call emergency services. But Lucash says her device failed to deliver on that promise.
