A Florida man who said he suffered severe burns after his Galaxy Note 7 smartphone exploded in the front pocket of his trousers has issued legal proceedings against Samsung Electronics.

The lawsuit by Jonathan Strobel may be the first in the United States by a Samsung phone user against the South Korean company over a battery defect linked to the Note 7.

It was filed a day after Samsung recalled about a million Note 7s sold in the US. Samsung has received 92 reports of batteries overheating in the US, including 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage, US safety regulators said.

The company had no immediate comment on the lawsuit.

Alleged explosion

Mr Strobel (28) of Boca Raton said he was in a Costco store in Palm Beach Gardens on September 9th when his Note 7 exploded.

He said the phone burned directly through his pants, resulting in severe burns on his right leg. Mr Strobel said he was also severely burned on his left thumb, after he reached over to try to remove the phone from his pants.

“He has a deep second-degree burn, roughly the size of the phone, on his right thigh,” Mr Strobel’s lawyer Keith Pierro said. “Unfortunately for my client the recall came too late.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other alleged injuries. It was filed in a Florida state court in Palm Beach County.

The case is Strobel v Samsung Electronics America et al, Florida Circuit Court, 15th Judicial District, Palm Beach County.