Personal Injury from E-Cigarette Explosions

In the past decade, e-cigarettes have steadily gained ground as a “safer” alternative to traditional cigarettes. This modern form of cigarette doesn’t burn tobacco, resulting in fewer amounts of carbon monoxide and tar inhalation as compared to nicotine cigarettes. E-cigarettes vaporize a flavored liquid with the help of a lithium ion battery embedded inside a handheld electronic device. The term used for smoking an e-cigarette is vaping, and has become widely popular across the United States. While these electronic cigarettes do have their fair share of health implications, they are relatively safer, and has been said to be of great help to chain smokers in quitting smoking for good.

Unfortunately, many cases of exploding e-cigarettes have been reported over the past few years leading to burn injuries. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more than 25 individuals sustained injuries from exploding e-cigarettes between 2009 and 2014. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported 92 such incidents, out of which 47 involved serious injuries. These statistics indicate that e-cigarettes may not cause harm to the internal health, but are capable of resulting in severe burn injuries.

FDA Regulations for E-Cigarettes

Being a relatively newer industry, e-cigarettes are largely unregulated with respect to product safety standards. There is a lack of FDA regulations, due to which certain components are not being manufactured properly. Currently, only those products are being regulated by the FDA that are sold in the market for therapeutic purposes.

The Science behind Exploding E-Cigarettes

The problem lies in the power source of e-cigarettes, i.e. the lithium-ion batteries, and improper ventilation of vaporizers, resulting in pressure build up. It has been found that these batteries are being cheaply manufactured, and chemical reactions taking place during charging are causing the vaporizers to explode. Lithium ion batteries are used in a wide range of electronic devices such as electric cars, laptops, and several others. The charging cycles are carefully monitored in high-value consumer electronics with the help of cutting-edge software programs, ensuring their high quality and safety. Conversely, same cannot be said for batteries used in vaporizers.

When they are under- or over-charged, they become susceptible to exploding because of irregular charging cycles. They may also short-circuit and catch fire under extreme temperatures.

E-Cigarette Personal Injury Lawsuits

The survivors of e-cigarette explosions are filing personal injury and product liability lawsuits against suppliers, retailers, manufacturers, and other third parties involved. This is because these parties failed to warn consumers about the potential risks associated with using vaporizers, and can be held accountable for their negligence.

Experienced vapors, as well as beginners, are advised to go through the potential dangers of using these sensitive products, and purchase them from only authentic retailers selling high-quality products.

If you have sustained injuries because of an exploding e-cigarette, you may be able to receive compensation to recover the damages from the retailer or the manufacturer of the defective batteries or vaporizer. Contact the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens, P.C. at (847) 395-2200 or online today to schedule your initial consultation and evaluate your legal options.