E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes, also known as “vape pens,” have grown in popularity over the past several years, but research has shown that the battery-operated “cigarettes” can overheat and may even explode, possibly causing severe burns and other permanent injuries to users. Some people believe “vaping” to be a safer and healthier alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, and while the makers of these devices would have you believe that e-cigarettes are “the future of the tobacco industry,” it is important that e-cigarette users understand the potential health risks of these devices, especially when they are found to be faulty. If you have suffered severe burns or other physical injuries from an e-cigarette overheating or spontaneously exploding, don’t wait to get qualified legal help. With a knowledgeable defective e-cigarette attorney on your side, you may be able to pursue financial compensation for your e-cigarette injuries, pain and suffering, lost wages and other related losses.

E-Cigarette Injury Lawsuit | Consumer Safety Watch

History of E-Cigarettes

Since they were first introduced in 2007, e-cigarettes have been widely unregulated, which means e-cigarette makers weren’t held to any particular standard in terms of manufacturing, marketing and selling the devices. In the midst of reports of e-cigarettes exploding, the FDA in 2016 ramped up its oversight of the production, marketing and sales of the devices, a move that prompted backlash from certain e-cigarette manufacturers, who called the agency’s actions “unconstitutional.” According to the new regulations, e-cigarette retailers are prohibited from selling the devices to anyone under the age of 18, any person who looks younger than 27 is required to show ID when purchasing e-cigarette products, distributors are banned from offering consumers free samples, and vending machine sales are permitted only in adult facilities. Additionally, beginning in 2018, all e-cigarette packaging and advertising is required to display a health warning about nicotine or a statement indicating that the product contains tobacco.

E-Cigarettes Injuries

Exploding e-cigarettes may put users at risk for the following injuries:

Severe burns
Third-degree burns
Permanent scarring
Blast injuries
Chemical injuries
Injuries to the face, hands, thigh or groin

Eye injuries
Tooth loss
Bone grafts
Broken bones
Hospitalization
The need for reconstructive surgery

According to product liability lawsuits, faulty e-cigarette devices may pose a risk of severe burns – some requiring skin grafts – blindness and other serious injuries requiring medical treatment and/or hospitalization.

E-Cigarettes Injuries

Exploding e-cigarettes may put users at risk for the following injuries:

Severe burns
Third-degree burns
Permanent scarring
Blast injuries
Chemical injuries
Injuries to the face, hands, thigh or groin

Eye injuries
Tooth loss
Bone grafts
Broken bones
Hospitalization
The need for reconstructive surgery

What are E-Cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are rechargeable, battery-powered devices that emit doses of vaporized nicotine or non-nicotine solutions for users to inhale. Inside the device is a heating element that vaporizes the liquid solution, which typically consists of a mixture of propylene glycol, nicotine, vegetable glycerin and flavorings. E-cigarettes are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have been plagued by defects leading to fires in smartphones, hoverboards and other electronic devices. Too often, a battery failure occurs due to problems with the battery design, because the battery comes in contact with metal, or because the battery is overcharged or charged with an incompatible power adapter. Despite the fact that e-cigarettes have been available in the United States for more than a decade, little is known about the safety of e-cigarettes or their actual role in smoking cessation, if any. The devices have been aggressively marketed by manufacturers as a safer and healthier alternative to traditional cigarette smoking and have been promoted as a means of helping current smokers kick their habit of smoking traditional cigarettes. After all, e-cigarettes allow users to get their nicotine fix without the known health risks associated with smoking. However, faulty vape pens may cause users more harm than good when they fail to operate properly. In fact, the U.S. Fire Administration reports that between 2009 and 2014, at least 25 people were injured by spontaneously exploding e-cigarettes.

Why E-Cigarette Lawsuits Are Being Filed

Lawsuits against the makers of e-cigarettes allege the following:

Users have a right to expect that proper safety measures are taken in designing, manufacturing and selling products for consumer use
Manufacturers failed to warn users about the dangers associated with e-cigarette devices
Manufacturers have introduced enticing e-cigarette flavors targeting youth
Manufacturers overstated the benefits of e-cigarettes and downplayed their risks
Manufacturers failed to take the appropriate steps to ensure the batteries they use in their e-cigarettes are safe

E-Cigarette Lawsuit Information

A growing number of lawsuits have been filed against the makers of e-cigarettes, calling into question the safety of the devices, namely the potential for the devices to overheat and explode in users’ mouths, hands or pockets, or while connected to charging devices. There have also been studies highlighting the potential health risks of the chemicals present in e-liquids and flavoring solutions, and of the vaping process itself, which may be linked to cancer, lung disease and other serious medical problems. According to product liability lawsuits claiming physical injuries from spontaneously exploding e-cigarettes, faulty e-cigarette devices may pose a risk of severe burns – some requiring skin grafts – blindness and other serious injuries requiring medical treatment and/or hospitalization. The first e-cigarette lawsuit heard in the United States involved a plaintiff who, on the way to the airport with her husband, plugged an e-cigarette device into the car charger. Liquid began leaking from the device battery and an explosion occurred that left the plaintiff permanently scarred from second-degree burns on her legs, hands and buttocks.