3rd generation iPod touch will not turn on.

I do not think that it is necessarily a hardware problem, if nothing else happened to the iPod. Of course there are always exceptions but can not be answered in a broad statement. Try a reset first. For a soft reset

1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the top of the unit until a red slider appears

2. Drag the slider.

3. Press and hold the Sleep button until the Apple logo appears.

For a hard reset press and hold both the Sleep button and the Home button, until the Apple logo appears. The screen should eventually go dark and the iPod Touch should restart. Also make sure that you have enough power on the battery. Keep it charged on a wall charger. Let us know if this is making any difference. Good Luck