Lithium-Ion Batteries and Catastrophic Burn Injuries

From the moment you wake up and grab your phone to the time you plug in your cordless drill, e-bike, tablet, or your child’s toy at night, lithium-ion batteries power much of your day. They’re small, efficient, and everywhere. But when these batteries fail, they can turn everyday products into dangerous fire bombs that cause catastrophic burn injuries and destroy homes in seconds.

At Peter Thompson & Associates, we see how these “invisible” risks play out in real people’s lives – including here in Maine – and we help injured victims hold manufacturers and other negligent parties accountable.

Everyday Products, Hidden Fire Risks

Lithium-ion batteries sit inside:

• Smartphones and tablets
• Wireless earbuds and portable speakers
• Power tools and yard equipment
• E-bikes and scooters
• Portable chargers and power banks
• Children’s toys and gadgets

When they work properly, you never think about them. But recent recalls show how often things go wrong:

• In July 2025, about 24,000 VIVI e-bike batteries were recalled because they could overheat and pose serious fire and burn hazards.
• In 2024, federal safety officials warned the public to immediately stop using certain Unit Pack Power e-bike batteries after multiple fires and a risk of serious injury and death. 
• In 2025, about 429,000 “Power Pods” portable chargers were recalled after dozens of reports of batteries overheating, swelling, or catching fire, with multiple burn injuries
• Just recently, Belkin recalled more than 80,000 charging stands and power banks due to overheating lithium-ion batteries that caused at least one fire and reported injuries.

These are not obscure products. They’re the same types of chargers, tools, and devices that Maine families use every single day.

Why Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Are So Dangerous

Most lithium-ion batteries work safely for years. But when they fail—often due to manufacturing defects, substandard components, poor design, or damage—they can enter thermal runaway, a chain reaction that:

1. Produces intense heat in seconds
2. Causes the battery to vent flammable gases
3. Can lead to explosions, jet-like flames, and toxic smoke

Research shows lithium-ion battery fires produce very high levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, making the air “immediately dangerous to life or health,” especially in confined spaces like apartments or vehicles.

That’s why cities like New York have seen deadly apartment fires linked to e-bike and scooter batteries – and they’ve responded with aggressive enforcement against uncertified batteries and makeshift charging setups.

For victims, the result can be:

• Deep second- and third-degree burns
• Smoke inhalation and lung damage
• Traumatic amputations or orthopedic injuries from blasts
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Psychological trauma and PTSD
• Massive property damage or total loss of a home

Regulators Are Playing Catch-Up

As fires and recalls pile up, federal regulators are scrambling to respond:

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has called lithium-ion batteries in some e-bikes “ticking time bombs” and advanced a proposed safety rule aimed at cutting down on lethal fires from micromobility products.
• In 2025, the CPSC moved forward with a formal proposed rule to establish a safety standard for lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and similar products, specifically targeting thermal runaway, explosions, and fire risks. 
• Consumer advocates report that more injuries were linked to unsafe products in 2024 than in any of the previous seven years, underscoring how widespread these hazards have become.

These steps are important, but they don’t help the people who are already injured or the families who have lost their homes. For them, civil lawsuits and product liability claims remain a crucial tool for accountability and compensation.

Who May Be Liable After a Battery Fire or Explosion?

When a lithium-ion battery fails and causes injury or a house fire, multiple parties may share responsibility. In a Maine case, potentially liable parties can include:

• Battery manufacturers that used defective cells, poor quality control, or substandard safety circuitry.
• Product manufacturers (phone, tool, e-bike, toy makers) that designed products without adequate ventilation, safeguards, or warnings.
• Importers and distributors that brought unsafe products into the U.S. market.
• Retailers, including online sellers, that sold recalled or noncompliant products.
• Landlords or property owners who ignored obvious electrical hazards or failed to maintain safe electrical systems.
• Employers who issued unsafe equipment or pushed workers to charge devices in dangerous conditions.

Maine product liability law can hold companies responsible if a product is defectively designed, defectively manufactured, or sold without adequate warnings. You don’t have to know exactly what went wrong inside the battery—your attorneys can work with experts to reconstruct what happened and identify defects.

What to Do After a Lithium-Ion Battery Fire or Explosion

If you or a loved one suffers burn injuries or property damage in a battery incident, you should:

1. Get immediate medical care. Burns and smoke inhalation need urgent treatment, even if they look minor at first.
2. Preserve what you can. If it’s safe, keep any remaining pieces of the device, charger, or battery. Do not throw them away—this could destroy critical evidence.
3. Photograph the scene. Take photos and videos of the damage, the burn pattern, and any other affected devices or outlets.
4. Obtain fire and incident reports. Local fire departments and insurers often document details that help prove the cause of the fire.
5. Check for recalls. Look up the brand and model on the CPSC recall database to see if it was part of a recall or warning.
6. Contact an experienced burn injury lawyer. These cases involve technical engineering issues and aggressive defense tactics from manufacturers and insurers. You should not navigate them alone.

How Peter Thompson & Associates Can Help

Lithium-ion battery cases require a blend of product liability experience, technical understanding, and compassionate advocacy. At Peter Thompson & Associates, we:

• Conduct detailed investigations into how and why a fire started
• Work with fire origin-and-cause experts, electrical engineers, and burn specialists
• Identify all potentially liable companies—often across multiple states or countries
• Document the full extent of your injuries, medical needs, lost income, and long-term care costs
• Fight back against insurance companies that try to blame “user error” or minimize your losses

We understand the unique challenges Maine families face when a battery fire suddenly takes away their health, home, or livelihood. Our goal is to secure the compensation you need to rebuild your life and to push companies to make safer products for everyone.

Injured in a Lithium-Ion Battery Fire? Talk to a Maine Burn Injury Attorney.

If a phone, power tool, e-bike, portable charger, or any other battery-powered product caused a fire or explosion that injured you or damaged your property, you may have a strong product liability claim—even if no recall had been announced at the time.

Peter Thompson & Associates offers free, no-obligation consultations to people across Maine who have suffered catastrophic burn injuries and losses from lithium-ion battery failures.

Reach out today to learn your rights, preserve critical evidence, and take the first step toward holding the responsible parties accountable.