EV Charging Station Injury Attorney – EV Charging Station Fire Causing Death – EV Charging Station Lawyer
There have been more electronic vehicles or EVs on the road in the last few years, as more people are concerned with driving “green” to save the planet from greenhouse gas emissions. But electronic cars, trucks and other vehicles do have a definite downside. An electronic vehicle is charged by an Li-ion or lithium-ion battery, which is a high-energy battery that has a high fire risk to it.
The Li-ion batter in an EV can have and experience what is called “thermal runaway” or a fire, which can result if the battery is defective or in a traffic accident. When the battery from an EV fails, it can release a large amount of noxious and toxic gasses, catch on fire, jet out flames or even explode on the spot. These injuries can be serious and even fatal, causing death to the person using the charging station. For this reason, it is critical that you be extremely wary of charging your EV at a charging station.
Be Aware That All Charging Stations Are Not Created EqualCharging stations are not plentiful across the United States, and even when you can find one, it may not be a charging station that will suit your specific electronic vehicle. When an EV is low on its battery, the driver has to rush to find a nearby charging station. Some EV charging stations are only meant to charge up certain EVs. For example, EV charging stations have Level 1 (20-43 hours), Level 2 (5-11 hours) and Level 3 (30 minutes to 1 hour) charging capacities.
Most public charging stations have Level 1 and Level 2 connectors, which use the SAE J1772, Port J1772 or other types of basic Level 2 plugs. The Level 3 connectors utilize an SAE Combo called CCS (Combo Charging System) and the CHAdeMo plugs which is used by Tesla owners. It is important to understand that no EV plug is interchangeable, you have to use the right plug for your designated vehicle. Therefore, a Supercharger Tesla charging station can only service a Tesla vehicle made for that charging station plug.
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You can use GPS to find a station on your mobile phone, if one is near to you. The electric grid charging has a fee and a cost, and needs to be paid for with a credit card in most cases. Once the driver plugs the electronic vehicle into the charging station, all that needs to be done is to wait until the vehicle charges completely, to then remove the “plug.”
Once the charging of the EV at the charging station is finished, then the circuit will disengage and the charging station will turn off the current flow to the vehicle. There is a small energy meter inside of the EV charging station, and it will track and record the power consumption and store the data to sent to your phone or credit card billing. Once the supply of electricity is completed on the charging station, the payment network opens up and a transaction is made to charge for the electricity used to power the electronic vehicle.
Note that you have to be a current member of one of these charging stations to be able to use the charging station in the first place, in 9.5 out of 10 cases. An independent public charging station is owned by the local business or individual owners who have the desire to make EV charging available on their properties. A few networks don’t require you to be a member of the network to use their charging services, but this is rare, and there may be other fees and conditions for the use of their EV charging services.
Why Do Electric Cars Catch Fire at the Charging Station?An electronic vehicle can catch fire at the charging station, because as the car is being charged, there is a heat released and those temperatures can cause fires while the car is charging up. It does not take a degree in Physics to understand that the EV charging station is using a large amount of electrical current to charge an EV to full capacity again.
The electric vehicle charging equipment or EVCE is not a proper “charger” at all. To understand how this technology works, we need to put on our Physicist hat for a few moments. Therefore, when you are “charging” your electric vehicle at the charging station, you are not taking any electricity from that charger at all. You are actually getting controlled access to the power grid in that local area, to charge your EV.
How Do EVs Recharge at the Charging Station?For example, with Level 2 charging, the charging will be slower and not a rapid charge. The EV charger does not have any voltage in it at all. It is only able to send AC power to the vehicle. The car has the battery that is going to be recharged. But if here are any issues with the EV converter, battery, alternator or other components, a fire can be ignited quite easily.
You have to remember, there is also a standard lead battery in the electronic vehicles as well. The traditional battery will power the lights and other systems in the vehicle. When you are charging the EV, there can be a problem with any of these conventional systems, which can cause a fire. Also, the port for gaining access to the grid can malfunction for any reason, and it can send too many or too few volts to the vehicle, causing it to catch on fire.
Are Electric Cars a Fire Hazard When They Are Charging?An electric car can be a high hazard when it is charging. There can be many factors that can make it a ticking time bomb that will catch fire quite easily, while the Li-ion battery is charging up. There are many reasons that the Li-ion battery catches fire, namely because of:
- Lithium-ion battery anomalies and defects
- Electrolytes and organic solvent issues
- Defects or problems with the oxygen-rich cathodes
- Nearby to flammable gasses
- Battery being used in high temperatures
- Current surges when charging the battery
- External circuits not connected properly
- Elevated self-discharge from the battery
- Thermal instability of the batteries
- Chain reactions that cause fires in the batteries
- Low-quality components used in manufacturing the batteries
- Counterfeit batteries sold as real batteries
- Manufacturing defects causing battery failures
- Short-circuits in the batteries
- Battery penetration leading to explosions
- Battery being completely drained by owner before recharging
- Over-charging the battery
- Not keeping battery at the safe range between 20% – 80% charged
- Not letting a fully charged battery cool down first, before driving away
- Not keeping the battery and car in the shade
If you have been injured at an EV charging station, you can call our law offices today to discuss your claim.
If you use an EV charging station and it catches on fire, you can suffer serious burns as a result of that accident. Burns can be debilitating, and can include:
- Minor burns
- Moderate burns
- Major burns
- Airway and breathing issues
- Damage to the skin
- Superficial burns
- Burns requiring skin grafting to heal
- Epidermis layers burned away
- Burns requiring surgical intervention
- Inhalation injuries if fire was associated with the burn
There are many chances for you to be seriously injured at an EV charging station, and if this has happened to you, just call us today to discuss your case.
Are Electronic Vehicles Safe Being Charged at the Charging Station?The electronic vehicle market is pushing electric cars as a way to lower greenhouse gases and emissions, but there are serious risks associated with owning an EV. Electronic vehicles can be dangerous to charge, depending on the safety of the charging station, components and all relevant connections.
Zero Fee GuaranteeWe can offer to you a zero-fee guarantee when you call today. That just makes it easier, and you don’t have to pay anything for us to start working with you right now.
Free Second OpinionWe can offer to you a free second opinion, and we are here to discuss your case with you right now if you call now. We are able to offer to you access to our attorneys, who specialize in cases where there are serious personal injuries on account of an electronic vehicle charging station accident. You can be an audience of one, with our experienced attorney in Los Angeles, who will speak to you right now when you call.
Can I Sue for Personal Injuries Sustained at an EV Charging Station?Yes, we can sue for the personal injuries that you have received at the EV charging station. We can talk to you about your personal injuries, and all that you have to do is to give us a call at the DTLA Law Group. You will have every opportunity to talk to our Los Angeles case lawyers, who can file a lawsuit on your behalf. Just call our case attorneys in Los Angeles, and we can help you to bring an action against the at-fault parties for your personal injuries sustained at an EV charging station.
Call for a Free ConsultationYou can feel comfortable giving us a call at the DTLA Law Group. We are here to talk to you and give you the legal advice you need, when you have been injured by an EV charging station accident or fire.
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