HispanicBusiness

New Mexico has shown up near the top of another national list.

A company that provides warranty coverage for iPhone owners issued a list Wednesday of "clumsiest states," based on an examination of more than 125,000 claims of accidental damage from handling the devices.

New Mexico ranked second, right behind Mississippi.

The study by SquareTrade, which claims to be the leading independent provider of warranty coverage, predicted that 30 percent to 35 percent of iPhones in New Mexico will be reported damaged in the next two years, often from being dropped.

Iowans apparently are the most careful with their iPhones, the study said, with only 7 percent expected to seek help with the cost of replacing one of the devices, which have become an integral part of many a consumer's lifestyle.

Most iPhone damage occurs in the home, Vince Tseng, vice president of marketing at SquareTrade, told Investor's Business Daily.

On average, one in five iPhones is likely to sustain damage during its first two years, Tseng said.

About 80 percent of iPhone accidents are drops in which the glass screen or chassis is damaged, he said. Water was mentioned as a factor in 16 percent of claims, including drops into the toilet, falls in pools, rain damage and coffee spills.

New Mexico, which regularly shows up near the top or bottom of rankings for such things as poverty and injury-related deaths, was followed in the top five "clumsiest states" rankings by Rhode Island, North Dakota and South Carolina.

Meanwhile, Apple's larger iPad devices are somewhat less likely to sustain accidental damage -- about 16 percent, the warranty company reported. The top five clumsiest states for iPad users: Mississippi, Nebraska, Washington, D.C., Alaska and New Hampshire.