You can ask our product liability lawyers if you have a personal injury or wrongful death claim in connection with an explosion or fire caused by a faulty e-cigarette or vaping device. In general, manufacturers have the responsibility to design out any dangers inherent in the product, including lithium-ion batteries that overheat and explode in e-cigs or other vaping devices. The makers can be held accountable; so can distributors, retailers and battery manufacturers. Our law firm recovers economic damages, non-economic damages and punitive damages for burn victims. We have a team of attorneys looking into Juul vape explosions, addiction and other injuries. For a free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900, toll free. We’ll explain your legal rights and options.
According to the FDA, there have been at least 92 separate incidents involving an e-cigarette between 2009 and August 2014. And the number of accidents is growing along with the rapid expansion of nicotine vaping. In the past two months, for instance, two e-cig explosions have caused serious injuries to users of the devices. One of those victims, 29-year-old Cordero Caples of Tennessee, reportedly suffered backbone fractures, burns and facial fractures from an e-cigarette explosion just last week. Prior to that, a 23-year-old California man was hospitalized with burns to his head and hand when an e-cig exploded near his face. The California man has hired a personal injury lawyer to represent him in e-cig explosion litigation.
The Fire Administration report said more than 2.5 million Americans are using electronic cigarettes, and that the number of users is growing rapidly. Fires or explosions caused by the vaping devices are rare, but as the number of users increases, so too will injuries and e-cig lawsuits. The report said most of the incidents occurred when the battery was charging, but other times the devices exploded while people were using them.
The Fire Administration said: “The shape and construction of e-cigarettes can make them more likely than other products with lithium-ion batteries to behave like “flaming rockets” when a battery fails.” According to the report, the industry is aware of the vape explosion problem and is continuing to work toward a safer battery design.
Fire Administration officials said E-cigarettes are different from other electronic consumer devices because the battery is installed in a cylinder that has its weakest structural points at the ends. “When the battery seal (at the end of the battery) ruptures, the pressure within the e-cigarette cylinder builds quickly and instantly ruptures, usually at the end.” the agency said in its report. The very first incident detailed in the U.S. report was nearly catastrophic. The agency said fire in a cargo container on a FedEx jet was discovered in August 2009 during on approach to landing. Fire suppression system activated and a tragedy was averted. Fire was linked to Lithium-ion batteries in a box of Ruyan Inhalers, model RappE-Mystick. The next incident, reported in Greeley, Colorado, hospitalized a man for eight days after an electronic cigarette exploded in his face, sending burning debris and battery acid into his mouth, face, and eyes.
