Philadelphia Vaping Injury Lawyers

Vape Injury Attorneys in Philadelphia, PA

When you purchase a product, you expect it to be safe. You do not expect this product to harm you through exposure to dangerous chemicals, catching on fire, or exploding in your hand or pocket. Unfortunately, not all products can provide this guarantee.

At Anapol Weiss, our esteemed team of experienced electronic cigarette injury attorneys are here to assist you in the event of illness or injury due to vaping. We are accepting cases for both acute and chronic illness and injury, including addiction, myriad lung diseases, and catastrophic injury, including e-cigarette or vape pen explosion. We understand the difficult, traumatic effects an adverse diagnosis or exploding e-cigarette can have on a person’s mental and physical health.

File a Vaping or Juul Injury Lawsuit With Anapol Weiss Today

We are here to guide you through the complicated litigation process of an e-cigarette lawsuit so that you can focus on your recovery and healing. We will work to recover damages to compensate for all potential physical, psychological, and emotional losses you have suffered.

With e-cigarettes and vape pens, these hazards are all too common. Despite the marketing of these products as safe alternatives to cigarettes, many serious illnesses and injuries have been tied to vaping. Devices have exploded in the pockets and hands of several consumers, causing serious burns and other life-altering injuries. Illness/injury caused by e-cigarette use can present itself in many symptoms, including dyspnea (difficulty breathing), fatigue, severe cough, chest pain, bloody sputum, and shortness of breath.

Many diagnosed illnesses have been linked to vaping, including:

• Popcorn Lung
• Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia
• Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia
• Decreased Pulmonary Function
• Subacute Bronchial Toxicity
• Pulmonary Alveolar Hemmorrhage
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
• Acute Bronchiolitis
• Myocardial Infarctions
• Asthma
• Cytotoxicity
• Impaired Cilia Function
• Acute Fibrinous Organizing Pneumonia (AFOP)

The vape injury attorneys at Anapol Weiss know that consumers deserve products that are safe, reliable, and fit for human consumption.

E-Cigarette FAQ’s and Resources

• What are E-Cigarettes?
• Can I file a lawsuit if I was injured by a vape pen?
• What are the main causes of an E-Cig explosion?
• Compensation Available in an E-Cigarette Lawsuit
• Are E-Cigarettes safer than regular cigarettes?
• E-cigarette Explosion Statistics
• Contact an E-Cigarette Attorney at Anapol Weiss – FREE Consultation

What Are E-Cigarettes?

E-cigarettes and vaporizer pens are battery-operated devices that are alternatives to smoking traditional cigarettes. They emit vaporized nicotine or non-nicotine solutions, which the person using the device will inhale. Manufacturers claim that smoking an e-cigarette or a vape pen is safer than smoking a cigarette because the dangerous chemicals that are in cigarettes are not present in e-cigarette vapor. However, smoking an e-cigarette or vape pen is not safer than not smoking at all.

People who are looking to cut back on smoking or quit altogether use these devices to help curb their addiction. They provide a similar sensation to smoking a cigarette, just without the harmful smoke.

However, due to aggressive marketing, these devices are growing in popularity among teenagers and young people not just smokers looking to quit. The sleek, modern design of e-cigarettes and vape pens make them attractive to young people who grew up in an anti-cigarette era. In addition, the vapor in e-cigarettes is made of liquid vape solutions, which come in hundreds of kid-friendly flavors, from Cotton Candy to Bubblegum.

Were You Injured by an Exploding Vape Pen?

Several people have suffered serious injuries and even death as a result of e-cigarette explosions. The dangerous battery acid that spews out of the device in the event of an explosion causes serious, severe, and deep burns on the skin. If the device is in your pocket, you may suffer severe trauma to your legs, chest, or abdomen.

Some recent e-cigarette injuries include:

• In May 2018, a 38-year-old man from St. Petersburg, Florida, died from an e-cigarette explosion. He had burns on his lips and a projectile wound in his head. Ejected parts from the device when it exploded is the most likely cause.
• In October 2016, a 14-year-old girl suffered moderate burns at Universal Studios Florida after an e-cigarette exploded in the pocket of a nearby park guest.
• A 27-year-old woman suffered severe burns to her mouth and face after she reloaded her e-cigarette with a new battery and it exploded. The explosion ripped a hole in her mouth and scorched her with battery acid. She had to receive dental reconstruction surgery.
• A 24-year-old man suffered severe burns to his leg after his e-cigarette exploded in his pocket.
• A Southern California man lost half an index finger and several teeth after his vape pen exploded.

File an E-Cigarette Injury Claim With Anapol Weiss TODAY!

Researchers have linked these injuries and several more to the use of cheaply produced batteries in these e-cigarette devices. Foreign manufacturers made most of these batteries, mainly in China.

Major causes of e-cigarette explosions also include:

• Use of different chargers than manufacturer-provided ones
• Use of substandard batteries
• Use of re-wrapped batteries
• Contact with other batteries or metal objects
• Charging the battery at too high temperatures
• Use of faulty or damaged batteries

E-cigarette explosions are more common than people think. These devices are volatile and sensitive. Cheap batteries, overheated batteries, substandard batteries, and other difficult to identify defects can lead to serious injuries, disability, and even death. Unfortunately, not all the manufacturers of these devices provide adequate protections for their customers or adequate relief for those who have suffered injuries as a result of their products.

Many of these companies are more interested in protecting their sales and their marketing strategies than their consumers. They will continue to market these products as safe alternatives to smoking and use kid-friendly techniques to increase their user population. Many e-cigarette explosion victims are taking these companies to court to file claim for their pain and suffering – and many of them are winning large settlements.

Lawsuits, Settlements, and Compensation for E-Cigarette Injuries in Philadelphia

In Pennsylvania, product liability laws protect consumers’ rights. These laws enable consumers to file lawsuits for personal injury, wrongful death, and personal property damage and destruction within two years of the incident. Through these lawsuits, you can recover compensation for:

• Medical expenses for injuries related to the accident
• Lost wages if you had to stop working to recover
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering

Pennsylvania uses a “modified comparative fault standard” in these cases. This means that if the jury finds you to be responsible for 51% or more of the incident, you will not recover any damages. If you are responsible for 50% or less of the incident, you will recover damages.

You can file a product liability lawsuit under three categories:

• Defective design
• Manufacturing defects
• Lack of adequate instructions or warning

If your e-cigarette explodes, it’s important that you seek medical attention immediately. Leave the device in a safe place for investigation – it is very important that you do not throw it away or dispose of it. Collect a detailed medical report from your doctor, emergency room, or hospital. Then, contact the skilled attorneys at Anapol Weiss.

How Safe Are E-Cigarettes?

E-cigarettes provide a solution for adults looking to kick their nicotine habit, but they are not safe as a long-term habit. The increasing popularity of these devices among young non-smoking teens and young adults is contributing to a new generation of tobacco users.

A recent study by the American Physiological Association into the effects of e-cigarettes on lung health has found that inhaling vape smoke may be more harmful to your lungs than smoking a cigarette. The widely popular vape solutions that power these devices contain dangerous chemicals such as:

• Propylene glycol, an odorless compound that adds a sweet taste to the solution, also used as a solvent in cosmetics and pharmaceutical drugs
• Nicotine
• Flavoring solutions
• Food additives, which manufacturers of e-cigarettes have claimed to be safe

While food additives are safe to eat, research is suggesting that inhaling them, as well as the other chemicals present in vape solutions, can cause severe lung inflammation. Even short-term use can cause this inflammation, leading researchers to wonder what the long-term effects of these devices actually entail.

Other health risks involving e-cigarettes include:

• Nicotine addiction, especially among young non-smokers
• Irreversible “popcorn” lung disease
• Carcinogenic emissions from vape smoke

While the potential health impacts of e-cigarettes are alarming, there is a more present danger: explosions. The cause of these explosions seem to be the batteries and the cheaply made materials that are in these e-cigarettes.

Vapes Versus Real Cigarettes

We all know the dangers of cigarettes. The presence of harmful chemicals in addition to addictive nicotine and the risk of lung cancer is enough for many Americans to seek an alternative to smoking them. Cigarettes are notoriously addictive, and the habit is extremely hard to kick, which is why e-cigarettes act as a form of relief.

Most e-cigarettes and vape pens are composed of:

• A rechargeable battery
• Electronic circuits
• A source of heat built-in to the device
• A mouthpiece
• A cartridge containing the liquid vape solution

Users suck on the mouthpiece and the liquid solution, which can come in a variety of flavors such as Cookie Dough or Fruit Loops, heats up, producing a vapor. This vapor comes back through the mouthpiece into the user’s mouth, who then inhales it. The nicotine content of these solutions ranges from none at all to very high levels, usually between 24 to 36 milligrams of nicotine per milliliter of solution.

The Popularity of E-Cigarettes and Vapes in Philadelphia

Today’s population of young people did not grow up in a world where people smoked cigarettes indoors, where restaurants had designated smoking sections, or when the dangers of smoking were a mystery. They have received anti-cigarette education and programming and, for the most part, do not smoke as much as their parents and grandparents have.

According to the Center for Disease Control, cigarette smoking has declined steadily among the American population over the past decade. However, e-cigarettes and vaping seem to be replacing this trend. It is a common misconception that e-cigarettes are not dangerous – the CDC has stated that these devices are not safe for young people, non-smokers, or pregnant women.

Consider these surprising statistics since e-cigarettes first appeared on the Chinese market in 2004:

• 2% of adults in the United States were using e-cigarettes in 2016.
• Vaping has become the most popular form of tobacco consumption among American teenagers.
• E-cigarette use rose by 900% among teenagers between 2011 and 2015.
• Over 2 million high school and middle school students had tried vaping in 2016.
• 40% of e-cigarette users between the ages of 18 and 24 were not cigarette smokers before they started vaping.
• The Food and Drug Administration only started to enforce regulations about e-cigarettes in 2016.
• People who use e-cigarettes are less likely to quit smoking.
• Teenagers who use e-cigarettes are more likely to start smoking.

These trends are very concerning, especially since these devices have a penchant for exploding and causing severe injuries. Its also important to note that many times these injuries and explosions go unreported, so data is limited. If young people continue to expose themselves to these devices, they risk serious burns, skin damage, and other hazards.

Trends in Reported Explosions and Burn Injuries

Identifying the actual numbers of e-cigarette injuries can be difficult because tobacco products currently are not regulated by the FDA CTP. A closer analysis of NEISS data gives a better picture on how many reported burn injuries there actually are. From 2015 to 2017, there was an estimated 2035 (95% CI 1107 to 2964) e-cigarette explosions and burn injuries that were reported at US hospital EDs. The severity of each instances varied greatly, but the majority of injuries were primarily young males and most injuries occurred on the upper leg.

Contact Our E-Cigarette Lawyers at Anapol Weiss Today for a Free Consultation

Our expert product liability lawyers are here to help you recover fair compensation for victims of e-cigarette illness and injury in Philadelphia. We will conduct a full investigation, collect evidence, gather any witnesses, and build a compelling case for your vape lawsuit. Contact our Philadelphia offices today to schedule your free consultation.