Amazon Battery Recall Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Amazon sells lithium-ion batteries, chargers and power banks under its AmazonBasics brand. Outside sellers list similar products through Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon service. Some of these batteries have overheated, caught fire or exploded, leaving buyers burned or facing smoke damage. Courts in California and Louisiana have both ruled Amazon can count as a “seller” of these third-party products rather than a neutral marketplace. A federal safety agency reached a similar conclusion in a separate case. Individual lawsuits against Amazon are moving through several courts right now. A related class action over battery cells settled and closed in January 2025, and no federal panel has consolidated the battery cases into one multidistrict litigation.

Latest Amazon Battery Lawsuit Updates

August 18, 2025: Amazon Settles Toddler’s Button Battery Burn Claim

A federal judge in the Western District of Washington approved a settlement in a lawsuit over a toddler’s injury [1]. The toddler had swallowed a small lithium-ion battery sold by a third party on Amazon. The judge called the terms fair and reasonable. The lawsuit alleged the battery caused the child a serious injury. The court record reviewed for this page did not include the settlement amount.

January 17, 2025: Crosby V. Amazon Battery Class Action Ends in Settlement

Craig Crosby and Christopher Johnson brought a proposed class action, Crosby v. Amazon, against Amazon.com, Inc. in Washington federal court (No. 2:21-cv-01083-JCC), over lithium-ion batteries sold on Amazon.com. The parties reached a settlement, and Judge John C. Coughenour dismissed the case with prejudice under Rule 41(a)(2), a stipulation in which each side agreed to bear its own attorneys’ fees and costs [2].

July 30, 2024: Federal Agency Rules Amazon a “Distributor” of Hazardous Products

The Consumer Product Safety Commission ruled that Amazon acts as a “distributor” of hazardous products that third-party sellers list through its Fulfilled by Amazon program [3]. The order covered more than 400,000 products. Those products included faulty carbon monoxide detectors, hairdryers and children’s sleepwear, not batteries. The Commission ordered Amazon to submit plans to notify buyers and remove the products from homes.

June 28, 2024: Louisiana Supreme Court Rules Amazon Can Be a “Seller”

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that Amazon can be a “seller” under the state’s products liability law [4]. The ruling covered a third-party battery charger that caught fire and killed Archie Pickard. The court also said Amazon could face a separate negligent-undertaking claim. It answered certified questions from the federal trial court, which still must decide whether Amazon is actually liable.

November 27, 2023: Federal Court Sends Pickard Questions to Louisiana’s Top Court

Facing Amazon’s motion to end the Pickard case early, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana asked the state’s Supreme Court to decide whether an online marketplace like Amazon counts as a “seller.” The Louisiana Supreme Court agreed on February 14, 2024 to answer that question, a step that led directly to its June 2024 ruling in the case.

November 2, 2023: Insurers Sue Amazon over $650,000 Battery Fire Claim

Two insurers sued Amazon, saying a rechargeable lithium battery it sold caused a fire that damaged their policyholders’ property [5]. They sought more than $650,000 in reimbursement from Amazon. Amazon had the case removed from state court to federal court in Texas. The insurers argued Amazon bore responsibility for the battery it sold through its marketplace, even though a third party manufactured it.

July 14, 2021: Agency Authorizes Complaint Against Amazon over Hazardous Products

The Commission authorized an administrative complaint against Amazon, opening the case that produced the 2024 distributor ruling described above, after Amazon fought the complaint for years. The agency argued Amazon bore responsibility for hazardous third-party products sold through Fulfilled by Amazon. Amazon disputed that argument through a hearing and several rounds of appeal before the Commission ruled against Amazon in its 2024 order.

August 13, 2020: Court Revives Bolger’s Amazon Battery Explosion Case

A California appeals court reversed a trial judge’s decision to throw out Angela Bolger’s lawsuit against Amazon [6]. Bolger says a replacement laptop battery a third-party seller listed on Amazon exploded and burned her. The appeals court held that Amazon can be strictly liable for the product even though it never manufactured the battery itself. Bolger had filed her lawsuit back in January 2017.

March 13, 2018: Agency Recalls 260,000 AmazonBasics Power Banks

The Commission recalled about 260,000 AmazonBasics portable power banks after 53 reports of overheating [7]. One report described a burn linked to battery-acid exposure, and the rest involved overheating without a documented injury. Four other reports described property damage from fire or smoke. Amazon told owners to stop using the power banks immediately and contact the company for a refund.

Who May Be Affected?

You may be affected if you bought a battery, charger or power bank through Amazon.com and it overheated, caught fire, leaked or exploded. This includes AmazonBasics-branded products, such as the recalled portable power banks, and third-party items delivered through Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon warehouse network. Courts have found Amazon can be treated as a “seller” for these products even when it never manufactured them and never held title to them. That theory has applied to a laptop battery from a third-party seller, a battery charger and other lithium-ion products sold on Amazon’s marketplace. Not every battery incident leads to a valid claim, and matching your situation to the California and Louisiana court rulings above takes an individual legal review. A battery, charger or power bank bought on Amazon may have burned you, put you in the hospital or damaged your property. A review can help you understand your options.

Reported Injuries or Damages

Reported harm ranges from property damage to severe, life-altering burns. Angela Bolger was hospitalized for two weeks after a replacement laptop battery exploded while she used her computer. Archie Pickard died of severe burns after a third-party battery charger ignited a fire that spread through his Louisiana home. The 2018 AmazonBasics power-bank recall covered 53 overheating reports. One involved a chemical burn from contact with battery acid, and four described fire or smoke damage to property. In 2025, a Washington federal court approved a settlement involving a toddler injured after swallowing a small lithium button battery bought on Amazon. These reports describe what plaintiffs, insurers and the CPSC have alleged or documented in specific cases. They are not proof that every Amazon-sold battery is dangerous, and reports alone do not establish that a product caused any particular injury.

Recall and Regulatory Background

The CPSC’s March 2018 recall of AmazonBasics power banks and its July 2024 distributor order against Amazon are described above. Neither one, by itself, proves Amazon is liable in an individual lawsuit over a battery injury. For recalls covering other third-party lithium-ion battery chargers sold on Amazon and elsewhere, see Schmidt & Clark’s lithium-ion battery charger recalls page.

Evidence to Preserve

If an Amazon-sold battery, charger or power bank hurt you or damaged your property, save the following before it is lost, replaced or thrown away:

• The battery, charger or power bank itself, with its box, cord and any product ID number
• Your Amazon order history showing the listing, price, seller name and Fulfilled by Amazon status
• Photographs of the device and of any burns, smoke damage or destroyed property
• Medical records from any hospital or clinic visit connected to the incident
• Any fire department report or insurance claim file related to the fire or damage
• Emails, chat logs or other messages with Amazon or the third-party seller

Keeping these records early makes it easier for a lawyer to evaluate whether you have a claim against Amazon or the seller.

Filing Deadlines

Every state sets its own deadline for filing a product-liability claim, and missing it can end a case no matter how strong the facts are. Where that deadline falls depends on where you live and when the fire, burn or property damage happened, and sometimes on when you discovered the battery caused it. A claim against a large company like Amazon can involve extra steps that take time to complete, so starting the process early matters. Because these rules are easy to miss, it helps to speak with a lawyer promptly after any battery-related fire or injury.

Potential Compensation

A successful claim against Amazon over a defective battery, charger or power bank could potentially address categories such as medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and property damage, depending on the court and the case records. Amazon and its insurers have settled at least one battery-injury lawsuit, and the court record available for this page does not state the settlement figure. Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. A lawyer can identify which potential compensation categories might apply to your circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Amazon Be Held Liable for Batteries Sold by Third-Party Sellers?

Amazon can potentially be held liable for batteries sold by third-party sellers. Courts in California and Louisiana both ruled it can count as a “seller.” Louisiana’s court added that seller status alone does not establish liability under its manufacturer test.

What If I No Longer Have the Battery That Caught Fire?

If you no longer have the battery that caught fire, you may still have a case. Amazon’s order history can still confirm what you bought and who sold it, and photos of the damage or a fire department report can help support your claim.

Do I Have a Case If the Battery Was Inside Another Device?

Yes, you can have a case if the battery was inside another device. Amazon battery claims cover standalone cells, like 18650s, as well as batteries built into power banks, chargers and other devices. What matters is that Amazon sold or fulfilled the product.

What Batteries Sold on Amazon Have Been Recalled?

Batteries sold on Amazon that have been recalled include six versions of AmazonBasics portable power banks, recalled by the CPSC in March 2018. They sold at Amazon.com, Amazon Bookstores and Amazon Pop-Up Stores between December 2014 and July 2017 for $9 to $40 each.

Is There an Official Recall Number for the AmazonBasics Power Banks?

The official recall number for the AmazonBasics power banks is 18-728, which the CPSC assigned when it recalled about 260,000 power banks in March 2018 for fire, burn and chemical-exposure hazards.

Where Do Amazon Battery Recall Lawsuit Cases Get Filed?

Amazon battery recall lawsuit cases have been filed in state and federal courts across the country, including California, Louisiana, Washington and Texas. No single nationwide court hears these cases, and no multidistrict litigation has consolidated them as of this page’s review date.

How Do I Report an Amazon Battery Fire or Injury to Regulators?

You can report an Amazon battery fire or injury to regulators through the CPSC’s SaferProducts.gov site or its hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270), even if you also contact Amazon directly.

References

1. https://www.law360.com/articles/2378329/amazon-settles-suit-over-child-s-button-battery-burn-injuries
2. https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/678c8003ad6b3e5bf58a734e
3. https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2024/CPSC-Finds-Amazon-Responsible-Under-Federal-Safety-Law-for-Hazardous-Products-Sold-by-Third-Party-Sellers-on-Amazon-com
4. https://www.lasc.org/opinions/2024/23-1596.CQ.OPN.pdf
5. https://www.law360.com/articles/1740073/insurers-say-amazon-owes-650k-for-battery-fire-damage
6. https://www4.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/D075738.PDF
7. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recall-Products/Batteries-Other-than-Button-Batteries