Alabama Defective E-Cigarette Attorneys

Fighting For Clients Who Sustained Injuries or Developed Illnesses Related to Vaping

In August 2019, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention announced an investigation into lung diseases linked to the use of e-cigarettes. It was the latest in many studies and investigations on these dangerous products, but it is not likely to be the last. E-cigarette companies – especially those with deceptive marketing practices – can and should be held accountable for the injuries and illnesses their products cause. Defective E-Cigarettes can be significantly harmful.

At Mezrano Law Firm, we are fighting on behalf of clients and families whose e-cigarettes and vape pens have hurt. Our Alabama product liability lawyers are committed to protecting your rights and upholding the laws. If you, your child, or a loved one has sustained a severe injury or developed a life-threatening illness from a vape pen or electronic cigarette, contact us to learn how we can help you.

What Is An Electronic Cigarette?

An electronic cigarette, or e-cig, is a type of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) which can come in varying shapes and sizes. The purpose of ENDS devices is to deliver nicotine to the user without creating smoke, fire, or ash. It does this by using a lithium-ion battery to heat up a liquid (stored in a tank called a “mod”) that contains nicotine and other chemicals; that mist, or vapor, is then inhaled by the user.

Other types of, and names for, ENDS include:

• Vaporizers
• Vapes
• Vape pens
• Atomizers
• Hookah pens
• E-pipes

ENDS has been regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) since 2016.

Why Are E-Cigs So Dangerous?

There are a few different types of claims that stem from e-cigarette use:

1. Defective parts and designs can cause them to explode
2. Dangerous chemicals can lead to lung and respiratory diseases
3. Deceptive marketing practices allowed for the proliferation of vaping, leading to increased injuries and illnesses, especially in underage users.

Defective Batteries and Exploding E-Cigarettes

Two of the most present dangers from e-cigarettes and vaping devices are explosions and fires:

• In June 2019, a 17-year-old from Nevada sustained a fractured jaw and broken teeth after his e-cig blew up in his mouth.
• In February 2019, a 24-year-old man died when his e-cig exploded, and pieces of the device tore through his carotid artery.
• In October 2017, an Oregon teen almost lost his eye when his e-cig blew up in his face.
• In May 2016, a 17-year-old from the greater Phoenix area suffered burns all over her body when her e-cigarette exploded and set her clothing on fire.

These four examples are part of a long list of injuries that e-cigarette users sustained. A recent study found, “From 2015 to 2017, an estimated 2035 e-cigarette explosion and burn injuries presented to US hospital emergency departments.”

The cause of these explosions is likely linked to a problem with the heating elements. E-cigs and vape pens use lithium-ion batteries – the same type so batteries that have caused Samsung cell phones and hoverboards to catch fire while charging and in people’s pockets.

Dangerous Chemicals Found in ENDS

Many smokers of traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, were drawn to vaping because they believed that the liquids used in the devices were “safer” because they didn’t contain the same chemicals as other tobacco products.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

First and foremost, the liquids and pods (used in devices like Juul) contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Data shows that teens who may have never picked up a traditional cigarette have started vaping: “E-cigarettes have been tied to a large recent jump in smoking among middle school and high school students. From 2017 to 2018, the percentage of teens who said they’d used e-cigs jumped 78%, according to the CDC,” per a report in Business Insider.

Furthermore, there are additional chemicals and compounds to be found in most liquids and pods, including but not limited to:

• Heavy metals, including lead, tin, and nickel
• Diacetyl, a compound used to create flavors that have been linked to lung disease
• Volatile organic compounds
• Ultrafine particulates that can be inhaled

Deceptive Marketing Practices Used by Juul and Other Companies

The CDC reports that “some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine,” which means e-cig companies are outright lying on the packaging.

And no company seems to have broken the rules more than Juul Labs, the Juul electronic cigarette creator.

Juul’s claim to fame was that it could be recharged in a USB port. However, what made the company stand out was how quickly the product caught on with teens and youth smokers. While Juul never marketed explicitly to underage smokers, “Brian King, deputy director for research translation in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said the increase in e-cigarette [by teens] use coincides with the rise in sales of Juul’s products,” CNBC reports.

The entire brand campaign of Juul appears to be one of youthfulness: until recently, the company ran popular Snapchat and Instagram accounts, and the way it named its flavored pods – “cool cucumber,” for example – were all designed to create a certain aesthetic. Combine that with how you could charge a Jull in your laptop and the intense focus on using hashtags in its marketing, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Juul is now facing a federal investigation filed by Maura Healey, the attorney general of Massachusetts, which “contends that Juul has been luring teenagers to try the product and has introduced many to nicotine. Her investigation will examine Juul’s efforts to audit its own website and other online retailers that sell its products to see how effectively they prevent minors from accessing Juul or Juul-compatible products.”

CDC Links Vaping to Severe Pulmonary Disease

In August 2019, the CDC issued a statement regarding “a cluster of pulmonary illnesses linked to e-cigarette product use, or ‘vaping,’ primarily among adolescents and young adults.” Per their research, as many as 94 cases of severe lung illnesses linked to vaping and e-cig use were reported between June 28 and August 15 across 14 states. As many as 193 illness cases may be linked to vaping.

Vaping may also be linked to a recent death in Illinois by a patient hospitalized with “severe respiratory illness,” It appears to affect people’s blood vessels after only one use.

Injuries linked to vaping and e-cigarette use

1. Burns and scarring
2. Broken jaws
3. Nicotine addiction
4. Acute respiratory distress
5. Death

It seems pretty dangerous to us for a product that hailed itself as a better or safer alternative to smoking.

How Our Alabama Defective E-Cig Lawyers Can Help

Mezrano Law Firm has always fought for the ill and injured in Alabama, going up against the big corporations and companies that put their profit ahead of their customers. Product liability claims can be very complex, and you will need an attorney to help you as you make your claim for damages.

We will first listen to your story and investigate what happened to you or your loved one. We’ll work with your doctors to ensure you get the necessary care. We’ll use your medical records to show the true extent of your injuries, to convince a jury that you deserve damages for:

• Your medical expenses
• Your lost wages
• Your property damages
• Your pain and suffering

If your loved one has died because of a defective or dangerous vape product, we can file for punitive damages in a wrongful death lawsuit.

We may also work with outside experts to help prove that you were using the e-cig or vape pen in an intended way and to show that a defect in the device was to blame or that the company which manufactured the ENDS or the liquid/pod failed to warn you about the potential injuries and illnesses associated with the products.

Alabama Defective Electronic Cigarette Lawyers Fighting For Your Future

We want to hear from you if you suffered an injury or illness related to e-cigarettes, vape pens, or any ENDS. The experienced Alabama product liability lawyers at Mezrano Law Firm represent clients nationwide.