Recently, popular smartphone accessory manufacturer Casely issued a recall of more than 400,000 “power pods,” portable wireless chargers that are designed to affix to the back of the smartphone during the charging process.
According to the official Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice, the “lithium-ion battery in the recalled power banks can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.” As of the date of the recall, Casely had received “more than 51 consumer reports of the lithium-ion battery overheating, expanding or catching fire while they were charging” including six reports of burn injuries from this defect.
The Casely recall follows a string of highly publicized safety risks in products containing lithium-ion batteries. In 2016, Samsung recalled over 1 million Galaxy Note7 smartphones because the lithium-ion battery in the phone could overheat and catch fire, including on airplanes. In late 2024, Chervon North America recalled over 60,000 lithium-ion batteries that were installed in SKIL power tools and electric lawn mowers. Earlier this year, Samsung SDI recalled 180,000 lithium-ion battery packs installed in Chrysler, Volkswagen, Audi, and Ford electric vehicles. Battery-powered mobility devices, such as e-bikes, have been the source of hundreds of fires and dozens of injuries and deaths. These are just a few of the hundreds of consumer recalls and reports of injuries involving lithium-ion batteries over the past several years.
Lithium-ion batteries explode or combust due to a process called “thermal runaway.” This is a chain reaction that occurs when the battery overheats and is unable to stop an uncontrolled rapid increase in temperature. Thermal runaway can be caused by a number of factors, including improper manufacturing practices, defective battery design, use of inadequate or substandard materials, and mishandling or damaging the battery during shipment or storage. Properly manufactured, designed, and handled lithium-ion batteries should be resistant to thermal runaway and safe for consumers.
But when lithium-ion batteries experience thermal runaway and overheat and combust, the results can be catastrophic. This risk of harm to consumers is particularly heightened in the case of handheld consumer products containing these batteries, such as phones, laptop computers, electronic cigarettes and vaping devices, and power tools.
When lithium-ion batteries explode and cause injury, there may be several responsible parties. Under product liability laws, the seller of the product has liability for the injuries suffered by the end user or consumer. The company that manufactured and/or designed the battery—which is often different than the seller—may also have liability if they engaged in substandard practices in developing and manufacturing the battery. Finally, the distributor of the product—that is, the company that ships or stores the product during the chain of commerce—may have liability depending on the circumstances and nature of the defect.
Holding product manufacturers, sellers, and distributors accountable is complex and challenging. It is critical that, in the event of a catastrophe involving a defective lithium-ion battery, consumers reach out to a law firm experienced in handling fire and explosion cases to discuss their legal rights and options.
