State Farm is taking Amazon to court over a fire reportedly caused by a battery charger sold on the e-commerce giant’s platform. The insurer filed a lawsuit on March 3, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, seeking to recover over $308,000 paid to its customer for damages.
The incident centers on a rechargeable battery charger sold through Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program. The customer bought a SEIVI Rechargeable Batteries with Charger compatible with Arlo Wireless Security Cameras in June 2022. The product was listed under the seller MORNGC but handled entirely by Amazon — stored, advertised, and shipped by the company.
About 18 months later, on December 21, 2023, the charger allegedly failed to stop charging the batteries once they were full. This caused the batteries to overheat, explode, and set off a fire. The flames also triggered the property’s sprinkler system, leading to fire, smoke, and water damage at the customer’s home in Pasadena.
After the fire, experts examined the charger with Amazon’s involvement. Their findings suggested the charger couldn’t detect when the batteries were fully charged and didn’t cut the power as it was supposed to. The lawsuit says the product came without warnings or instructions about the risk of charger failure or battery explosions due to overcharging. State Farm also notes several complaints about this charger on Amazon’s website. The complaint claims the defendants knew about these issues but kept selling the item anyway.
State Farm’s lawsuit includes claims of negligence in the charger’s design and manufacturing, as well as strict product liability on both fronts. No trial date is set yet, and the court hasn’t made any decisions on the case’s merits.
The case raises broader questions about Amazon’s role in selling potentially dangerous products. Since Amazon handled the storage, advertising, sale, and delivery of this charger under the FBA program, the lawsuit challenges whether Amazon can be held liable as a seller in product liability cases. Courts around the country have yet to settle this issue. The other defendants, SEIVI Tech No. 7 and MORNGC, remain somewhat mysterious, described only as business entities without clear details, which could make pursuing damages more complicated.
This lawsuit also highlights a growing problem for insurers: fires caused by rechargeable batteries are becoming more common. These risks span a range of devices, from e-bikes to security camera accessories, and are showing up more often in insurance claims.
As this case moves forward, it underlines the challenges insurers face when trying to recover losses from products sold through large online marketplaces. It also serves as a reminder about the risks linked to rechargeable batteries and the importance of clear safety measures on these items.