When you buy your brand new car, the last thing you expect is that one day it will spontaneously catch fire and be reduced to ashes before your eyes. This is precisely what happened to Gonzalo Salazar in Florida. These days, most car manufacturers are beginning to venture into the electric vehicle business, and Jaguar is one of them. The new Jaguar I-Pace electric car has proved to be a big hit among US consumers.
This is all well and good and a step in the right direction regarding efforts to preserve the environment. However, the safety of the passengers has to be paramount. This means incidents of cars catching fire should not be allowed to happen.
If you have been involved in a similar situation where your car has been damaged or destroyed after catching fire, then Call Ehline Law at (833) LETS-SUE for a free consultation.
According to the report on this latest battery fire, Gonzalo Salazar reportedly parked his car in the garage after spending the day doing a few errands. The previous night he had plugged his car in before going to bed.
Salazar reported that he first noticed something wrong when he heard pops from the garage the following day. He decided to see what was making the noise, and upon walking into the garage, he saw that it was full of smoke.
Acting quickly, he drove the car out of the garage and onto the street before calling Jaguar roadside assistance. The fire soon spread, and the vehicle was engulfed in flames rapidly.
When he noticed that there were now flames rapidly developing underneath the car, he called 911 for help, and members of the fire department showed up and poured a particular foam fire suppressant onto the vehicle.
When the fire department showed up at the scene, Gonzalo Salazar decided to keep a safe distance until the professionals poured flame retardant foam on the car because debris was flying everywhere.
There were other incidents involving a Jaguar I-Pace electric car, so what happened to Salazar is not isolated. In one case, the Jaguar I-Pace caught fire in the Netherlands while parked in a driveway in 2018. The same thing happened in Oregon, and yet another I-Pace, while charging, caught fire in Hungary last October.
This makes the latest incident the fourth such battery fire in which a Jaguar I-Pace caught fire while charging or parked in a driveway.
The recent rise in battery fires can be attributed to the use of LG battery cells as the primary power source. As with most electric vehicles, the Kona EV and Bolt EV from Hyundai and Chevy and the Jaguar I-Pace electric car have LG pouch battery cells. This is why Jaguar I-Pace manufacturers have recently begun looking deeper into battery fire risks.
If your electric vehicle, such as the Bolt EV or Kona EV, uses LG battery cells like this, then keep the following tips in mind in the event of a battery fire:
Move everyone away from the electric vehicle to a safe distance in case debris is flying everywhere from the battery fire.
If you feel it is safe, move the car to a safe place where the flames won’t spread to the rest of the house. Should you leave the garage door open? At a minimum, leave the garage door empty to allow airflow.
In previous cases, such as when Jaguar’s I-Pace caught fire and emergency personnel poured flame retardant foam on the vehicle, the owners were lucky they called 911 for help. If your car uses LG battery cells, you should never forget to contact the fire department rather than fight a battery fire by yourself.
LG battery cells, like the one on the Jaguar I-Pace involved in this latest battery fire, may have specific implications regarding your insurance policy. Therefore, you should call your insurer as soon as possible.
With so many recently recalled Jaguar I-Pace electric cars for battery fire risks, now would be a good time to call an experienced lawyer to evaluate your options.
We represent all-electric vehicle owners who have faced problems with their cars catching fire through no fault.
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We speak directly to you if you own a Jaguar I-Pace or any other electric vehicle. Ehline Law is here to help fight for your rights if you are in similar circumstances to I-Pace owner Gonzalo Salazar. Call our law offices today for a free consultation at (833) LETS-SUE.
Michael Ehline
Michael Ehline is an inactive U.S. Marine and world-famous legal historian. Michael helped draft the Cruise Ship Safety Act and has won some of U.S. history’s largest motorcycle accident settlements. Together with his legal team, Michael and the Ehline Law Firm collect damages on behalf of clients. We pride ourselves on being available to answer your most pressing and difficult questions 24/7. We are proud sponsors of the Paul Ehline Memorial Motorcycle Ride and a Service Disabled Veteran Operated Business. (SDVOB.) We are ready to fight.
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