A Settlement Emphasizes Ongoing Concerns About Online Marketplace Liability
The tragic case of a death resulting from a fire in a home, which was said to be triggered by a defective lithium-ion battery charger, has brought back attention to the obligations of online marketplaces. Law360 reported that Amazon recently settled the wrongful death case, which resulted from a charger purchased from its online marketplace. Though Amazon did not admit liability, the case poses legal difficulties concerning defective products sold on online marketplaces.
With the rise in electronic purchases, product liability cases involving lithium-ion batteries are now common.
Risks associated with lithium-ion battery chargers
These days, you will find numerous everyday items powered by lithium-ion batteries, ranging from e-bikes and scooters to power tools, laptops, and other rechargeable devices. While such batteries are usually safe, pairing them with poor-quality chargers can be very harmful.
A bad charger might overcharge the battery, generate heat, or not regulate the flow of electricity. In certain situations, this might trigger thermal runaway in the battery, where heat builds up rapidly, possibly causing an explosion or fire.
Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries tend to spread quickly, posing great danger when the device is being charged at night or at home.
Can online marketplaces be held accountable?
Online marketplaces claim that their business model consists only of connecting buyers and sellers of a product, not of being retailers. For this reason, they tried to evade any liability whenever defects in a product had led to harm to someone.
The courts throughout the nation have increasingly challenged this stance, especially where the marketplace has exercised some form of control over the listing of a product, payment of money, logistics and delivery, or even customer service. An online marketplace would be liable under certain conditions, depending on the laws of the state.
This settlement is one such example of the emerging legal trends regarding products sold via online marketplaces.
Who is liable after a battery charger fire?
Cases arising from product liability typically involve multiple defendants. Parties that could be held accountable for the problem include:
- The company producing the battery charger
- The company producing the batteries
- Product designers
- Product importers/distributors
- Retailers and/or online sellers of the product
- Firms handling the product’s packaging/labeling process
It is possible to identify such parties through proper investigation by an experienced product liability lawyer.
Protecting your rights after a lithium-ion battery fire
Defective battery charger fires can cause catastrophic injury, property damage, or even death. The preservation of the battery charger, the battery itself, and the device that was harmed can become vital evidence in a potential lithium-ion battery fire case. It is common for accident reconstruction specialists, fire investigators, and engineers to collaborate to figure out where the fire started.
Should you or someone you love have sustained an injury in a fire caused by a lithium-ion battery, speaking with a product liability lawyer can provide information about your options. With more cases of battery defects and sales on online marketplaces surfacing, many could be held responsible for distributing such hazardous products.
Talk to a Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Attorney Today
If you’ve suffered injury or property damage due to a defective lithium-ion battery, the product liability lawyers at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert can help file a claim against the companies that had a hand in selling or manufacturing the product. Call our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case today.
