EV Battery Explosions: Proving Design Flaws in Lithium-Ion Packs Under Georgia’s Product Liability Act
As Georgia continues to grow into a national hub for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, battery-related injuries are getting more attention. Fires and explosions linked to lithium-ion batteries have raised serious safety questions, especially when the cause ties back to a design flaw.
For people injured in Northwest Georgia or East Tennessee, the state’s product liability law offers a legal path forward. However, proving a design defect requires real evidence, often including recall data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
How Georgia Law Handles EV Battery Defect Claims
Georgia allows people injured by defective products to sue under its product liability statute. One of the most effective legal routes is a design defect claim. This means the product worked as intended but was still unreasonably dangerous.
To prove this, courts use the risk-utility test, which weighs how useful a design is against the risks it creates. If a safer design were available and reasonable to produce, the original version may be considered defective.
In 2023, SK Battery America agreed to pay $31 million after a fire destroyed a nearby recycling facility in North Georgia. The fire started when lithium-ion battery scraps, mistakenly included in a shipment of recyclables, ignited at the site. Firefighters spent four days and used 3 million gallons of water to control the blaze.
The case ended in a settlement, not a trial. However, the outcome sent a clear message. Alongside a $33,000 state fine, the financial payout highlighted how dangerous these batteries can be when they’re poorly designed, mishandled, or sent into the wrong environment.
Why NHTSA Data Can Strengthen Your Case
Federal recall databases, like those from the NHTSA, are helpful in design defect lawsuits. If other incidents have occurred involving the same battery model or manufacturer, this can show a pattern. Georgia courts often allow these “other similar incidents” to support claims about known risks or lack of proper warnings.
At Morris & Dean, we help people in Northwest Georgia and East Tennessee hold manufacturers accountable for injuries caused by defective EV batteries. If a lithium-ion pack exploded or caught fire and you were hurt, reach out to us. We’ll look at what happened and walk you through your legal options.