LG Chem, Samsung SDI Out of E-Cig Battery Explosion Lawsuits

LG Chem Ltd. can escape a vaper’s battery explosion suit in North Carolina, a divided state appeals court affirmed, just as a federal court in Arizona dismissed Samsung SDI Co. from a similar suit there, also on jurisdiction grounds.

Both courts distinguished the facts of Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court, in which the U.S. Supreme Court determined that jurisdiction existed in accident cases where Ford sold the vehicles out of state.

The pair of decisions Tuesday in favor of the South Korean battery makers adds to recent developments in widespread litigation over 18650 lithium ion ...