For the last decade, e-cigarettes, commonly referred to as e-cigs or vape pens, have been gaining popularity among smokers. Users believe that e-cigarettes are healthier than traditional cigarettes and while it’s true that they contain fewer harmful chemicals than conventional cigarettes, smoking in any way is still hazardous to one’s health. What’s more, there have been many incidences of personal injury associated with the devices, most often causing people a burn injury from the e-cig exploding.
Whether from defective manufacturing, a defective design, or a user modification that overloads the device, e-cig explosions have been reported since their advent. This can be a serious hazard, not only because of the burns one may sustain but because many people use the devices while driving and an unexpected explosion while driving can have dire consequences.
The burn injury and defective product attorneys at Portner & Shure want you to know that you have rights if you’ve been injured by a defective product. As mentioned, there have been numerous reports of e-cig explosions over the years with many causing injury to users.
In 2017, the United States Fire Administration released a report which acknowledged that from the years 2009 to 2016, 195 electronic cigarette explosions were reported in the U.S. A website which collects data of any reported e-cig explosion across the world called e-Cig One, found that from 2012 to June of 2018, there were 267 e-cig explosions reported, 177 of them causing some form of personal injury.
If you’ve suffered injury from a vape pen or e-cig explosion our experienced attorneys can help. They will guide you in the right direction in terms of what type of claim to file so that you can get the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. When pursuing a defective product claim, there are certain elements that must be shown to prove the product was defective and caused your injuries. The elements that must be shown include:
- The product was defective
- You experienced personal injury or other damages
- It was the product’s defect that caused the injury or damage
- You were using the product properly and in its intended manner
Recently, in Florida, the first apparent e-cig-related death occurred in St. Petersburg as a man was found dead from a fatal wound to the head. The local medical examiner’s office concluded that the death was caused by a “projectile wound to the head” after the victim’s vape pen exploded. The explosion also caused a fire in the room which resulted in nearly 80 percent of the victim’s body to suffer burn injury.
It was shown that the victim used a mechanical mod vape pen from Smok-E Mountain Mech Works, which is based in the Philippines. Mechanical mods, or mods, enable users to modify the device to allow users to inhale and exhale more smoke. However, modification to the device’s battery can cause excess voltage, increasing the risk of explosion.
If you or someone you know has been injured by an electronic cigarette explosion, please contact us today for a free consultation at (410) 995-1515. We serve clients throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. We work on a contingency basis, which means that we don’t get paid unless your case is successful.
