Lithium-Ion Battery Explosion Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been injured in a lithium-ion battery explosion and/or fire, the experienced personal injury lawyers at Bisnar Chase can help you pursue maximum compensation for your losses. Our product defect attorneys have the knowledge, experience and the resources to pursue your case and hold the manufacturer of the defective product accountable for putting a dangerous item on the market. We understand the serious repercussions a burn injury or an explosion-related injury can have not only on victims, but also their families. Call us at (800) 561-4887 to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.

What are Lithium-Ion Batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries are cells that power pretty much all the important electric devices we use today including but not limited to laptop computers, cellphones, tablets and devices such as electronic cigarettes and even hover boards. Lithium-ion batteries are a little different from the AA batteries that we use to power television remotes and other appliances.

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and often, directly built into the devices. They also rely on lithium as their primary fuel. They are the batteries of choice for devices such as laptops and cell phones because they store energy super efficiently, which means they don't lose their charge quickly. You get more battery power compared to older technologies and often two to four times the voltage.

How Do Lithium Batteries Work?

Like any other battery, lithium-ion batteries work by storing energy and releasing it through controlled chemical reactions. The battery has two electrodes – locations where electricity can enter or exit the battery. One of the electrodes, the anode, is filled with negatively charged ions while the other (the cathode) consists of positively charged ions and lithium. When the battery is in use, the lithium moves from the cathode to the anode, and when the battery is in charge, the lithium moves back over to the cathode. There is a separator inside that prevents the anode and cathode from touching. That's because, when they do touch, they could trigger explosions and fires.

Why Do These Batteries Explode?

One of the most common reasons why lithium-ion batteries can explode is because of manufacturing defects that could pose problems during or after charging. Overheating can also cause explosions, which is why your phone gives you a warning when your phone is too hot and needs to cool down. Shoddy manufacturing is a common reason. If unwanted materials such as scraps of metal accidentally end up inside the battery when it's being made, they can short a cell of the battery and cause an explosion. Using substandard parts could also pose this danger.

Common Injuries Caused by Lithium Explosions

It is a fact that we keep our devices close by. We keep our cell phones our pockets. We hold our laptops close to our bodies. E-cigarettes, when in use, are close to the face. Given the proximity of the batteries to our bodies, there is often the chance for serious bodily injury from a lithium-ion fire or explosion. According to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association, there were 15 separate e-cigarette fire incidents in 2015. E-cigarettes have been reported to behave like "flaming rockets" when a lithium battery malfunctions.

Physicians in trauma and burn units across the country are seeing an increase in lithium-ion battery injuries. The flame burn and tissue blast injuries from an e-cigarette, for example, could affect the face and hands. Sometimes they could even result in loss of teeth or loss of eyesight. When cell phones or e-cigarettes explode in pockets, they could result in second-degree and third-degree burn injuries, which may require skin grafts, and result in significant pain, scarring and disfigurement.