Did You Suffer Injuries after Your Electric Car Caught Fire?

 Posted on June 13, 2023 in Personal Injury

You may have seen the headlines in California about electric vehicles suddenly catching on fire. By 2025 one in ten cars will be electric. But firefighters are finding it harder to extinguish fires created by electric car batteries. That is because some 25,000 gallons of water are needed to extinguish a car when it erupts into flames compared to 300 gallons of water for a gas-powered vehicle. While this is not a common occurrence, if it happens to you or a loved one, you may be wondering, who should be held accountable for your personal injuries?

Defective Batteries

When safety measures fail you, you and your loved ones deserve legal representation to attain adequate compensation. If you are injured in an electric car fire, you may have a claim against the car makers and battery manufacturers.

Nowadays, lithium-ion batteries are the most commonly used and they are not the same as the traditional lead batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are stronger and can be charged faster. The battery is made up of thousands of cells so when the energy cells are damaged, the battery’s temperature rises to extremely high levels, causing the battery to catch on fire. Most firefighters are not well equipped to carry 25 thousand gallons of water to extinguish the resilient fires created by electric cars.

If a hybrid vehicle or car battery catches on fire, determining who should be held accountable can be a complex issue. In some cases, the manufacturer of the vehicle or battery may be held responsible if the fire was caused by a defect in the product. For example, if a battery cell is defective and causes a fire, the manufacturer may be held liable for any damages or injuries that result. Here are some reasons why these types of fires could occur:

• Manufacturing defect – a defective product
• Design defect – the car design could be dangerous when used as intended
• Negligence – the driver must show that the manufacturer had a duty to the driver to make conditions in the car safe but failed to do so when the battery ignited
• Strict Liability – the product was placed on the market and caused injury to a person, there is liability regardless of any reasonable precautions that are taken

Potential Compensation

It is important for vehicle owners to follow recommended maintenance procedures to reduce the risk of fires. If you have taken the necessary steps to do that Tahmazian Law Firm, P.C. will fight for your rights and work to get you compensated for the following:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Funeral and burial or cremation costs
• Pain and suffering due to your injuries

Contact a Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a hybrid vehicle or car battery fire contact a Los Angeles County personal injury attorney at Tahmazian Law Firm, P.C.. We will help you understand your legal rights and options. Call 818-242-8201 for a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K2-621
 
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1714.&lawCode=CIV
 
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1714.&lawCode=CIV#