Recent Lawsuits Stemming From E-Cigarettes
In February of last year, a woman named Rachel Berven of California was replacing the old battery in her e-cigarette device. When she turned on the device, the e-cigarette suddenly exploded in her face, ripping a hole in her mouth and spilling battery acid all over her body. Because of the burn marks, she struggled with PTSD and also finances to replace her damaged teeth. Unfortunately, this is the story for many people over the past year – and this is why lawsuits have begun.
Attorneys who are sticking up for the tens of victims are making claims that device makers have sold defective products that are inherently dangerous. A New York attorney who is representing one of the victims has stated, “It’s an issue of the batteries being unregulated and manufactured haphazardly with poor warnings that never get down to the consumer.” So far, juries in different states have already awarded millions of dollars to various victims because of the extensive injuries they have suffered.
Manufacturers have been saying for years that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. However, until 2016, the companies were largely unregulated and this posed problems in and of themselves. For years, the FDA has struggled with the big e-cigarette companies. The President of the American Vaping Association himself has discredited e-cigarettes as being inherently dangerous and instead blamed the users, saying they are no more of a fire risk than cell phones or laptops.
If you have been injured in one of these accidents, you may wonder what protections and options you have for recovery. These accidents can happen without warning, leaving you with injuries that can affect you the rest of your life. Call us today for more information on how we can help you with your claim.