A North Carolina man is taking Chinese vape giant Shenzhen Geekvape Technology Co. Ltd. to federal court, claiming a design flaw in one of its popular devices turned a spare battery into a pocket-sized bomb.
The lawsuit, filed in March 2025, centers on the Geekvape Aegis 200W—an e-cigarette that runs on high-powered, removable 18650 lithium-ion batteries. Plaintiff Simons says the device leaves users no choice but to carry unprotected spare batteries, creating a hidden danger that ordinary people don’t fully appreciate.
According to court papers, the nightmare unfolded on April 5, 2023, while Simons was in West Virginia. A battery tucked in the right front pocket of his pants suddenly exploded. Flames and hot chemicals shot out, burning his right thigh, abdomen, scrotum, and several fingers. He suffered a painful mix of second- and third-degree burns and needed extensive medical treatment.
Geekvape fights to narrow the case
The company, based in Shenzhen, China, isn’t denying the incident happened. Instead, it’s telling the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina that the court lacks personal jurisdiction over it. In January 2026, Geekvape asked the judge to throw the case out on those grounds.
Simons pushed back in March, citing Fourth Circuit precedent that often allows limited discovery when jurisdiction is disputed. Geekvape responded by asking the court to keep any discovery tightly focused and short.
In its latest filing, the company said it doesn’t oppose reasonable investigation but believes the plaintiff’s requests are far too broad. It wants the judge to impose clear limits:
- Discovery window of just 30 to 60 days
- No more than 10 written interrogatories
- No more than 10 requests for documents
The company added that it would be open to extending the timeline if Simons needs to travel to China to depose CEO Hongri Jia.
Case still in early stages
As of now, the case—Simons v. Shenzhen Geekvape Technology Co. Ltd. et al., case number 7:25-cv-00510—remains in the procedural phase. The judge has not yet ruled on the discovery limits or the jurisdiction question.
Simons is represented by Sara C. Willingham of Paynter Law Firm PLLC. Geekvape is defended by Robert C. deRosset and Andrew P. Flynt of Young Moore & Henderson PA. Neither side’s attorneys have commented publicly on the matter.
For anyone who vapes with high-wattage mods that use 18650 batteries, the story is a sobering reminder of how quickly something convenient can turn dangerous. The case could shed new light on whether manufacturers are doing enough to protect users from loose lithium-ion cells that power today’s most powerful e-cigarettes.