SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, 2003: A class action complaint against Hewlett-Packard was filed by San Francisco based Green & Jigarjian, LLP and Sacramento based Cutter, Ratinoff & York, LLP. The lawsuit, brought by a consumer who purchased an HP notebook computer, alleges that HP is aware of a defect in its notebook computers yet continues to advertise, sell, and warrant the computers as if there is no defect.

According to the lawsuit, consumers' displays "black out" or flicker as a result of the defect, rendering the computers essentially useless. The plaintiff in the lawsuit experienced problems with his display during the warranty period and sent his computer to HP for repair. Less than four months after his computer was returned, but after the warranty period expired, the display went black again. This time, HP demanded more than $600 to fix the problem. He says HP should permanently fix the problem at no cost or replace his entire computer with a defect-free equivalent or better model, and that HP should do so for every consumer whose HP computer has similar backlight display problems. He also wants HP to return any money it has collected thus far to repair the defective computers.

Green & Jigarjian attorney Jenelle Welling says that her law firm has been contacted by many consumers with similar complaints. A search of HP's website reveals that the company is aware of backlight display problems in several of its computer models.