According to Qmed, the class-action lawsuit has claims Fitbit has misled consumers about the accuracy of the company’s heart-rate monitoring technology. The legal missive states that that the company’s products — Charge HR and Surge — are both inaccurate in failing to record every heartbeat. This goes against, the lawsuit indicates, the claim made by the company that the device is accurate.
To back up the lawsuit, an assessment has been made by a cardiologist. The cardiologist has concluded the Fitbit models are not accurate. This was arrived at by comparing the readings from the Fitbit devices with an electrocardiogram.
In particular, the medic allegedly found with heart rates greater than 100 beats per minute, Fitbits were out by 24.34 some beats per minute. Faster readings were said to be inaccurate by 75 beats per minute.
The case, Business Wire notes, has been brought by a plaintiff called Teresa Black. This is based on her apparently finding out that her heart beat was actually twice as fast as her Fitbit device indicated. She claims that this affected her personal health and well-being.
The legal action is being supported by a second plaintiff called Kate McKlellan. She is claiming false advertising on the part of Fitbit. When she sought a refund from Fitbit, she has indicated this was declined. A third plaintiff called David Urban states he has a family history of heart disease and his health was put in jeopardy.
All three plaintiffs are concerned that Fitbit’s U.S. advertising, which carried the slogans “Know Your Heart” and “Every Beat Counts,” was misleading. The Fitbit devices were launched in 2014.
In response to the case, Fitbit has told Forbes magazine: “We do not believe this case has merit. Fitbit stands behind our heart rate technology and strongly disagrees with the statements made in the complaint and plans to vigorously defend the lawsuit. Fitbit is committed to making the best clip and wrist-based activity trackers on the market. Our team has performed and continues to perform internal studies to validate our products’ performance.”
The announcement of the legal action has led to a fall in Fitbit’s share price, with shares dropping 18 percent in value.
