Lithium-ion batteries power phones, laptops, e-bikes, electric vehicles, and grid-scale storage, and they bring new fire and explosion considerations with them.
Neale Consulting carries out lithium-ion battery fire investigations to establish why a battery, device, or system failed, and what that means for your claim or dispute.
Where codes and standards are still developing, you need scientifically sound analysis rather than assumptions. That’s exactly what our specialists provide. Our engineers and fire investigators examine the evidence and set out what it does and does not support.
What a Battery Fire Investigation Determines
A comprehensive battery fire and/or explosion investigation – like those provided by Neale Consulting – will determine:
- Where the Fire Started: in the cell, the pack, the charger, the wiring, or somewhere else.
- Why the Battery Failed: whether the cell was defective, damaged, abused, or poorly installed.
- What Else Contributed: the charger, battery management system, power supply, or operating conditions.
- Whether Another Cause is More Likely: we test every competing explanation against the evidence.
- Who or What Was Responsible: for subrogation, product liability, and insurance purposes.
Battery Fires We Investigate
Neale Consulting has extensive experience investigating a range of battery-based fires. These include (but are not limited to):
- Consumer Devices: phones, laptops, e-bikes.
- Electric & Hybrid Vehicles: EV battery fire and electric vehicle fire investigations.
- Battery Energy Storage Systems: at commercial, industrial, and utility sites.
- Industrial & Commercial Equipment: powered or backed up by lithium-ion batteries.
How We Investigate
A battery fire often destroys much of the evidence, so the way the scene and the remains are handled matters. We document and preserve the scene, recover the battery, device and charger, and examine them with the other parties where needed. We then review any available data and records, and take the investigation through to a clear, evidence-based opinion.
Where the battery was protected by a detection or suppression system, we also assess whether that system performed as designed.
Who We Help
Insurers, subrogation teams, legal firms, manufacturers, fleet operators, and asset owners rely on our battery fire investigation work. We understand that some of these incidents involve serious injury or loss of life, and we carry out every investigation with care and respect for those affected.
Need a Battery Fire Investigated?
Do not discard or tamper with the battery, device, or charger. Keep them in a secure location away from anything that can burn. Contact Neale Consulting immediately. Contact us now.
How can we help you?
