An e-bike bought on Amazon allegedly caught fire inside a Domino's, and American Family Insurance is suing to recover the $596,120 it paid out.
American Family Insurance is going after Amazon.com and three other companies to recover what it paid after an e-bike allegedly caught fire and damaged a Minnesota pizza shop.
In a complaint filed July 16, 2026, in Minnesota federal court, the insurer brings a subrogation claim - it covered its policyholder's loss first, and now wants its money back from the parties it holds responsible.
The insured runs a restaurant doing business as Domino's Pizza in Minneapolis. According to the filing, a delivery driver there bought the e-bike on Amazon in May 2022 from a third-party seller, Qoeklose. A Chinese manufacturer, Shenzhen Chirrey Technology, made the bike, the complaint says, and Woitian New Energy made its lithium-ion battery.
On July 23, 2022, the parked bike "combusted, and became on fire" at about 6:30 p.m., according to the complaint. The filing stresses that the bike and battery "were not charging and were not connected to an electric outlet" when it happened. The blaze spread and caused "extensive damage" to the restaurant, the complaint says.
American Family says it paid $596,120.06 under the policy, which allowed it to step into its insured's shoes and pursue the defendants.
The insurer is bringing strict product liability, negligence, and breach-of-warranty claims against all four companies. It alleges the e-bike was "in a defective condition and unreasonably dangerous" and "spontaneously ignited" during ordinary use.
The defendant list is what stands out for claims teams. Along with the overseas manufacturer, the battery maker, and the third-party seller, American Family names Amazon, alleging it and the seller "were in the business of selling the E-bike product."
The claims are allegations that have not been tested, and no court has ruled on the merits.
