Today, it’s just as common to see power tools in residential garages as it is to see them on construction sites and in work trucks. This is thanks, in large part, to the fact that power tool companies like Dewalt, Rigid, and Milwaukee have ditched cords and opted for battery-powered portability.
Most portable power tools use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries of varying voltages, depending on each tool’s size and energy requirements. When one battery drains, it can easily be swapped out for another that’s recently been charged.
However, with convenience often comes risk. Battery fires in portable power tools and other electronic devices aren’t uncommon. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), it received at least 25,000 reports of lithium battery fires or related events over a five-year period.
Which Power Tools Use Lithium-Ion Batteries?
Many power tools get their energy from rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, including:
- Drills and drivers
- Impact wrenches
- Reciprocating saws
- Circular saws
- Miter saws
- Multi tools
- Flashlights
- Grinders
- Sanders
- Nailers
- Vacuums
Some lawn equipment - including lawn mowers, edgers, and blowers - can also run on lithium-ion batteries instead of gas and oil.
What Causes Battery Fires in Portable Power Tools?
There are usually a few reasons why lithium-ion batteries catch on fire in portable power tools: thermal runaway, physical damage, and defects.
Thermal Runaway
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable energy cells. Once the power held within the battery is drained, it can be placed on an electrical charger to gather and hold more energy. While the recharging feature is nice, it can cause a battery to become more susceptible to a phenomenon known as thermal runaway over time.
Thermal runaway occurs when a battery enters a positive feedback loop that creates an uncontrollable rise in its internal temperature. Over time, the battery’s temperature will reach a tipping point and cause the battery to explode or catch on fire. If the battery is installed when it catches on fire or explodes, the attached power tool can catch on fire, too.
Typically, thermal runaway is most commonly seen in batteries that are overcharged, left on their charging stations for too long after being fully charged, and those that are misused or damaged.
Battery Damage
Power tool batteries can explode or catch on fire when they sustain physical damage. Sometimes physical damage is part of the normal wear and tear on the battery or related to the nature of how the attached power tool is used. Other times, physical damage is the result of improper use, being thrown, or falling to the ground repeatedly.
Product Defects
Lithium-ion batteries can also catch on fire if the battery or the power tool is defective in some way. A defect refers to a problem with a product’s design, the way it’s manufactured, or how it’s marketed to consumers.
Common defects that might increase the chances that a battery or power tool catches on fire, or that a consumer is injured because of a battery fire, include:
- Use of inadequate, flammable, or substandard materials
- Deviating from the battery or power tool’s design in some way during the manufacturing process
- Concealing evidence that a battery or portable power tool has been shown to catch on fire when used in certain ways
- Failing to conduct adequate safety tests to assess potential risks and threats to consumer safety
When a company knows that there’s a risk that a tool or battery could catch fire, it has a legal obligation to disclose that information to consumers. Many companies will take steps to recall power tools and machinery that pose fire risks. For example, Chervon North America recalled several lithium-ion batteries commonly used in SKIL lawn mowers and outdoor tools in 2024 when a fire hazard was discovered.
Who’s Liable If the Battery In My Power Tools Catches on Fire?
If you were injured because the lithium-ion battery in your drill, saw, or another portable power tool caught on fire, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your financial losses and harder-to-value suffering. As long as you were using the battery and tool as intended, or in a reasonably foreseeable way, your claim will most likely target the company that manufactured or sold the power tool and/or battery.
Companies that design, produce, and sell lithium-ion-powered tools have a responsibility to make sure they’re safe. If a tool is defective, the company that put it in a consumer’s hands can be strictly liable for resulting damages, including medical bills, lost wages, disability, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Strict liability means that you, the consumer, don’t have to prove that the tool company or the store where you bought it was negligent in any way. Instead, they’ll be responsible as long as you can show the tool/battery was unreasonably unsafe.
When Should I Call a Personal Injury Lawyer For Help After a Battery Fire in a Portable Power Tool?
Battery fires can cause devastating physical injuries, including burns, nerve damage, eye injuries, amputation, and internal organ damage. It’s important to prioritize your physical health by seeking medical attention as soon as you can after you’ve been injured.
Once your injuries have been diagnosed and a treatment plan has been set, it’s time to consider your legal rights and options. While statutes of limitations for product liability cases vary from state to state, you’ll only have a limited time to file a lawsuit to seek damages for your battery fire injuries. The sooner you call an experienced personal injury attorney near you for help, the better.
Lithium ion battery fire victims across the nation choose Singleton Schreiber because we’re trustworthy, powerful legal advocates with a multi-billion-dollar track record of success. As forceful and fearless legal advocates, we’ve won over $3 billion in damages from manufacturers, retailers, big box stores, employers, and insurance companies. Now, we’re here to fight to get you maximum compensation, too.
Contact our award-winning legal team for a free consultation to learn more.
