There are many ways in which consumers are injured while using products in the way they were intended, each and every day. One that is fairly common where electronic or battery run devices are concerned is the risk of burns due to overheating or fire. While devices subject to these hazards can be found many different places, many tools used in the field of construction today rely on batteries to run.

Recently, a battery pack used to run one such tool was recalled. Sold under the name Ryobi, the battery pack is used to power tools that are found on construction sites and in peoples' homes. The recall of the Ryobi lithium 18 V 4Ah battery packs is due to four reports of the battery pack overheating while on the charger. In some cases it is possible that the overheating could cause the battery pack to burst, potentially burning those who could be around.

In all, a total of 56,000 of the battery packs have been recalled. They were available in North America for a three month period beginning in September of last year. While it is not clear what is causing the battery packs to overheat, the manufacturer has offered to repair the defective product.

At this point there have not been any reports of people suffering injuries as a result of the defective product. This is fortunate since burns are usually quite painful to recover from and can result in bad scarring. Should anyone receive burns due to the battery overheating, in addition to seeking medical assistance, they may also want to consider speaking with a lawyer who handles product liability cases.

Source: Consumer Affairs, "The battery pack can overheat and burst while on a charger," James Limbach, Feb. 27, 2013