Company profile
Industry
Industrial Manufacturing
Headquarters
Stuttgart, Germany
Employees
~450
Revenue
€120M
Mid-sized German manufacturer specializing in precision coating and surface treatments, expanding into EV battery components.
Production facilities
HQ & Main Plant
Stuttgart, Germany
HeadquartersCoating Centre
Mannheim, Germany
ManufacturingBattery Components
Dresden, Germany
ManufacturingR&D Lab
Zürich, Switzerland
R&DDistribution Hub
Rotterdam, Netherlands
WarehouseAssembly Plant
Wrocław, Poland
ManufacturingUS Operations
Detroit, USA
Manufacturing
Worst-case risk scenarios
PFAS contamination of groundwater near reservoir Environmental
Chemical storage facility near water reservoir poses risk of PFAS leaching into groundwater, triggering strict environmental remediation obligations. Under German tort law (BGB §823), TechFabrik faces fault-based liability. The upcoming EU PFAS restriction proposal may render current coating processes non-compliant.
Battery component defect causing EV fire and mass recall Product Liability
Defective coating on battery components could lead to thermal runaway in EVs. Under PLD 2024/2853 (transposition due Dec 2026), TechFabrik faces strict (no-fault) liability with no cap on damages. Claimants can prove defect, damage, and causation with eased burden of proof via rebuttable presumptions.
Worker exposure to lithium compounds — occupational disease Bodily Injury
New battery manufacturing line exposes workers to lithium dust and electrolyte chemicals, risking respiratory and skin injuries. Under BGB §823(1), TechFabrik is liable for violation of enumerated rights. Swiss operations fall under CO Art. 41 (tort) and Art. 55 (principal liability).
Lithium storage fire/explosion with environmental contamination Property Damage
Lithium materials are highly flammable. A storage facility fire could cause property damage and environmental contamination. Under PLD 2024/2853, strict liability applies to defective storage equipment. Note: pure financial loss (PFL) is excluded from PLD 2024 scope in Germany.
Cross-border product liability claims from EV OEM customers Product Liability
Battery components sold to OEMs across EU create multi-jurisdictional exposure. PLD 2024 applies uniformly but is transposed differently per Member State. Key risk: a single regulatory breach triggers PLD presumption of defectiveness across all EU jurisdictions simultaneously.
Coverage recommendations
| Coverage type | Suggested limit | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Liability (EIL) | €25M | PFAS exposure near water sources and chemical storage create significant environmental remediation risk. |
| Product Liability / Product Recall | €50M | EV battery components carry high recall risk with severe downstream consequences. |
| General Liability (GL) | €10M | Standard operations liability including premises and completed operations. |
| Employers Liability | €5M | Chemical handling creates elevated occupational disease exposure. |
Relevant news & developments
EU proposes universal PFAS ban by 2027
EV battery recalls surge 40% in 2024