e-Cigarette Explosion Injury Lawyers
Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP is at the forefront of electronic cigarette or “e-cigarette” litigation. Throughout the United States, the unregulated e-cigarette industry is causing both severe and minor injuries to consumers using these products. Chipped teeth, third degree burns and gaping wounds are just some of the injuries that have led to e-cigarette lawsuits and media outlets have increased their coverage of people who are hospitalized with severe injuries as a result of “vaping.”
LACK OF E-CIGARETTE REGULATION
While cigarettes are heavily regulated by the federal government, the electronic cigarette industry has little oversight. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, only those e-cigarettes marketed for “therapeutic purposes” are regulated by the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. There is no oversight from the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. The FDA warns that reported illnesses and injuries from e-cigs include:
- pneumonia;
- congestive heart failure;
- disorientation;
- seizure;
- hypotension; and
- other health problems.
A recent Harvard study actually showed that many of the electronic “juices” used in flavored e-cigarettes, e-hookahs and other “vaping” products contained diacetyl, a flavoring chemical linked to cases of severe respiratory disease. This chemical was found in microwave popcorn and lead to cases of “popcorn lung.” There are concerns this chemical could create “e-cig lung” in people who inhale this and other danger chemicals in ecig flavors.
SUCCESSFUL E-CIGARETTE LITIGATION
At SBE, our lawyers have successfully prosecuted distributors, sellers and manufacturers of e-cigarette products. In September 2015, the firm obtained a $1.885 million verdict in a “first-of-its-kind” trial where a woman had her e-cigarette battery explode in her car, causing severe burns on her hand, legs and buttocks, as well as psychological damage. The firm represents several other clients who have also been injured by e-cig products including e-hookahs, vape pipes and hookah pens.
SBE possesses a long, successful track record of representing injured parties in catastrophic personal injury cases. In the last 18 months, the firm has obtained:
- a $1.885 million verdict on behalf of a woman severely burned by an e-cigarette
- a $28 million verdict against one of California’s largest health insurance companies
- a $15 million jury verdict in a wrongful death case involving a mother of two killed in a hit-and-run accident
