Portable electronics have revolutionized the world. However, having electronic devices at your fingertips or within arm’s reach wherever you go isn’t without risk. Electronics need to be powered by something. If they’re cordless, there’s a good chance they contain lithium-ion batteries.
Unfortunately, battery fires in portable electronics - including laptops, tablets, smart watches, and Bluetooth headphones - aren’t all that uncommon. As more and more products incorporate lithium-ion batteries, the rate at which they catch on fire and people suffer severe injuries has risen significantly.
What Causes Battery Fires in Portable Electronics?
There are two main reasons for battery fires in portable electronics: thermal runaway and product defects.
Thermal Runaway
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable banks of energy used to power everything from cars to small, hand-held electronic devices. Since the batteries are rechargeable, they’re susceptible to a process known as “thermal runaway.”
This refers to a sudden, uncontrollable increase in the battery’s temperature. As the temperature increases, it can accelerate chemical reactions occurring within the battery and cause it to explode or catch on fire.
Product Defects
Lithium-ion batteries can also catch on fire if they’re defective or installed in a defective device. Defects refer to problems inherent in a product’s design, the way it was manufactured, or how it was marketed.
Defects might include faulty connections between the battery and the portable electronic device, the use of inadequate or faulty materials, or a failure to warn consumers about known fire risks.
What Types of Portable Electronics Could Catch on Fire?
Any portable electronic device that contains a lithium-ion battery could potentially catch on fire if the battery overheats, is misused, or is defective.
Common devices include:
- Smart watches
- Smart rings
- Laptops
- Cell phones
- Headphones
- Tablets
- Video game systems
- Cameras
- Fitness trackers
- Rechargeable power banks
- E-cigarettes
Portable electronic devices like these can be more susceptible to catching fire if they’re overcharged, allowed to remain on a charger for an extended period of time, physically damaged, or misused.
Battery Fires in Personal Electronics Can Cause Devastating Burn Injuries
When the battery in a portable electronic device catches on fire, it’s common for people in close proximity to suffer burn injuries. Since many portable electronics are small enough to be worn, placed in pockets, or carried easily by their owner, the likelihood of suffering severe or even fatal wounds if a device’s battery catches fire is relatively high.
Victims of portable device fires and explosions commonly suffer burns to the:
- Hands
- Face
- Thighs
- Trunk
- Fingers
- Arms
- Legs
- Feet
Genital burns are also possible if a smartphone or another small electronic device is in a victim’s pocket when it catches on fire.
The closer you are to a portable electronic device when it explodes, the higher the risk of suffering penetrating burn injuries, rather than superficial burns.
Penetrating burn injuries can be so severe that they require immediate medical attention and treatment, not limited to dressings, skin grafts, and even amputation.
Who’s Liable For Burns Caused By Battery Fires in Portable Electronic Devices?
If you’ve suffered burns or other catastrophic injuries because your portable electronic device caught on fire, you may be entitled to compensation. The question of liability boils down to how and why the device’s battery exploded.
Potentially liable parties could include:
Device or Battery Manufacturers
Companies that design or manufacture lithium-ion batteries and/or portable electronic devices have a responsibility to put safe products on the market. If companies shirk this responsibility and allow unsafe and defective products to be sold to consumers in the United States, they can be strictly liable if those products cause harm.
Each state has individual product liability laws in place. As a general rule, however, a company can be automatically responsible if a lithium-ion battery or electronic device is defectively designed or suffers from a manufacturing defect, or if the company failed to disclose known risks associated with their product.
Product Retailers
Stores and companies that sell portable electronic devices - including Walmart, Amazon, and Target - can potentially be liable if those products are unsafe, too. These companies also assume a responsibility to create a safe marketplace for American consumers. If a company knowingly sells a risky product without warning or fails to take reasonable steps to pull an unsafe product from commerce, it can be held responsible for related injuries or wrongful deaths.
What Compensation Can I Get If I’m Injured Because of a Battery Fire in a Portable Electronic Device?
When you suffer injuries through no fault of your own because the battery in your cell phone or another small electronic device caught on fire, you can request compensatory damages through a related civil tort action.
Compensatory damages can include economic awards and non-economic awards for:
- Present and future medical bills
- Lost wages and earnings
- Disability
- Property damage
- Nursing assistance
- Funeral expenses for the wrongful death of a loved one
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Inconvenience
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic physical pain
- Emotional distress
Punitive damages, which are designed to punish a company for intentionally concealing known fire risks or other reprehensible actions, can also potentially be awarded if your product liability lawsuit goes to trial.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney For Help After a Battery Fire in a Portable Electronic Device?
You deserve compensation, but also need time to focus on recovering from your painful, debilitating burn injuries. Hiring an experienced product liability attorney to take charge of your legal claim can offer a winning solution.
Injury victims and families across the country consistently turn to Singleton Schreiber for help after life-changing accidents. We’re award-winning civil trial attorneys with an undeniable track record of success. Taking on multinational corporations, government agencies, and other powerful defendants, we’ve won in excess of $3 billion for our clients.
Asking for our help puts compassionate, skilled legal advocates in your corner and increases the chances that you’re able to receive the top-dollar monetary award you deserve.
You’ll have a limited time to pursue compensation from the company that manufactured or sold your electronic device, so don’t hesitate to reach out to our law office for assistance today. Your first consultation with our experienced legal team is free.
