Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog
Many people have started smoking electronic cigarettes because they are supposedly better for you and the environment. Although there is still controversy surrounding the issue of whether or not they are safer for you. Now, some people have experienced serious injuries when the device has exploded while they were using it.
According to lawsuits in several different states, there are claims that allege device makers sold defective products. One attorney,Marc Freund, told The Wall Street Journal that “It’s an issue of the batteries being unregulated and manufactured haphazardly with poor warnings that never get down to the consumer.” Freund represents a teenager who suffered partial blindness from an exploding e-cig and a woman who suffered third-degree burns when a device exploded in her pocket.
A California jury awarded $1.9 million to a woman who said her e-cig exploded in her car, leaving her with severe burns. Critics of the e-cigarettes are stating that the devices contain cheaply made batteries that may explode without warning. The lithium-ion batteries mentioned in lawsuits come from Chinese companies Sigelei, iPV Technology Co. Ltd. and Kangertech .The companies declined to answer questions and said they were unaware of the explosions.
The e-cigarette industry has made $3.5 billion since the devices first hit the market in 2007. Manufacturers billed them as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. But, the industry remained largely unregulated until 2016 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it would regulate the devices and require manufacturers to disclose ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration found one hundred and thirty-four reports of fires, explosions and overheating of the devices between 2009 and January 2016.
President of the American Vaping Association, Gregory Conley, blamed users for the explosions. He stated that, “When used and charged properly, vapor products pose no more of a fire risk than any other product that is powered by lithium-ion batteries, like cell phones or laptops.”
Health experts have not decided whether or not e-cigarettes are safer than traditional tobacco products. Some studies show the devices may help reduce the number of cigarettes consumed by smokers, which could reduce lung cancerrates. Other studies show negative impacts on health as well.
For example, a study published in PLOS One in May suggested aerosols found in e-cigs may increase the risk of oral cancer. Diana Messadi and colleagues at the University of California conducted research on cells exposed to aerosols in a lab. Other studies reveal that menthol-flavored e-cigarettes impair immune systems in mice and reduce cell proliferation and viability in lab cultures.
If you or one of your loved ones has been burned by an exploding e-cigarette while using it or sustained any other serious injuries, you should contact a caring and knowledgeable E-cigarette and defective device lawyer with The Higgins Firm as soon as possible. Our legal team will review your claim, answer any questions you may have, gather any evidence that may be needed for your case such as photos, medical records and more and then we will see to it that you get any and all compensation that you deserve for the injuries and suffering you have been caused.
Please get in touch with us today online or by phone at 800.705.2121 to talk with us about the legal action you may be able to pursue.
