Exploding Electronic Cigarettes Cause Serious Injuries

You may have heard it from a friend, a teacher, or on the news: Smoking is bad for your health. We hear all the time about the damages and effects that smoking can have on your body and the toll it can take when you form the habit and become dependent on cigarettes. However, just over the past few years, a new type of cigarette has hit shelves that have captivated the lives of many. These inventions are known as e-cigarettes, and they have been thought to be a much safer alternative.

Yes, studies have shown that over 20 million Americans have used an e-cigarette at one time in their lives. Many consumers have given into marketing telling them that these new devices are much safer and they have helped some quit the habit completely as well as find a new and alternative route to feed a nicotine habit much more safely. A study was done in New York that shows 10.5% of high school students use e-cigarettes. The unfortunate matter is that the e-cigarette industry remains largely unregulated, so we question how safe these products actually are.

The Jennifer Reis Case

In California, a young woman became involved in an accident regarding an e-cigarette that changed her life forever. Based on these events, we are right for questioning whether or not these cigarettes are actually a safe alternative or have just as many downsides as the real thing.

Jennifer Reis was on the way to the airport and was charging her e-cigarette by plugging it into the USB port in her vehicle. However, she noticed that the e-cigarette’s battery was getting hot and, out of nowhere, it began dripping a liquid that smelled like nail polish. All of a sudden, the lithium battery exploded and Reis suffered second-degree burns to her body. The jury decided that Jennifer Reis would receive $1.9 million for injuries that she sustained when the lithium battery exploded unannounced (Sanginiti).

The Vicente Garza Case

Unfortunately, exploding e-cigarette news does not stop there. A man named Vicente Garza was getting ready for bed when he decided he was going to use his e-cigarette. However, as he was lifting it to his mouth, the e-cigarette exploded as he pushed the vapor button and started to inhale. Garza badly burned his mouth after the explosion as well as the left hand that was holding the device. News was not good for Garza, who lost his left index finger when it was determined it would have to be amputated. He also had to undergo immediate surgery on his tongue after the incident (Branson-Potts).

If you still aren’t convinced that there may be safety issues, you may consider the fact that these were not the only two lawsuits surrounding the exploding battery issues with e-cigarettes. No, Daniel Califf recently filed suit as well when his e-cigarette battery exploded in his face and caused burns as well as a concussion and fractured cheek bone. However, the dangers are not limited to only battery issues. No, it has been discovered through studies that 47 out of 51 tested e-cigarette flavors contained at least one cancer-causing chemical! So far, a lot of the issues brought up surrounding these devices are being denied by the big-name companies who sell them (Sanginiti).

Each year, many defective products are pulled from shelves because they are found to be defective. There are many reoccurring patterns dealing with e-cigarettes these days, and it is always a good idea to be wary of any issues popping up before you use a specific product. If you have been injured due to an exploding battery in an e-cigarette, you should contact a personal injury attorney who will always work with you to gain the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call Maggiano, DiGirolamo, & Lizzi today for more information.

Works Cited

Domenic B. Sanginiti. Personal Injury Law Journal, 2015. Web. Accessed Jan 11, 2016. http://www.personalinjurylawjournal.com/injury-law/e-cigarettes-and-the-exploding-nicotine-dependent-population/
Hailey Branson-Potts. LA Times, 2016. Web. Accessed Jan 11, 2016. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-85095312/