E-Cigarette and Vaping Injury Lawyers in Columbus, OH

For the past year, there has been an outpour of illnesses related to vaping. Current studies have shown that most people who fell victim to or have a close family member/friend who has fell victim to the new e-cigarette epidemic are unsure what do about the damages vaping has caused them.

Here are a few factors to know:

What Is Vaping?

Vaping is an alternative form of smoking which was intended as a replacement for cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes) are mostly referred to as vaping, a vape pen, or personal vaporizers (known as MODS).

Vaping is the act of smoking through an atomizer coil that heats up and evaporates the vaping liquid from a small storage tank. From the small storage tank, a wick transports the liquid to the coil to the air intake system that connects to the mouthpiece when inhaled.

The battery, which is removable from the atomizer or is built-in most vaping devices, powers the vape pen.

How is Vaping Harmful?

Recently, there has been an outpour of victims with negative effects from vaping.  As of October 29, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 1,888 cases of e-cigarette usage associated with lung injury in 49 states (excluding Alaska). Within those 49 states, 37 deaths were recorded.

Customers who smoke e-cigarettes are contracting various types of illnesses resulting in hospitalization. According to the CDC, the average patient’s age ranged from 13 to 75 years with an average age of 24 years old. Generally, a brain does not complete development until the age of 25. Among 1,378 patients, 79% of patients are under 35 years old and the average age of deceased patients is 53 years old. Studies have shown that nicotine is known to produce damage to the brain when consistently used. Vaping illnesses are affecting younger populations at an accelerated pace and increasing mortality rates as more cases arise.

In the past decade, vaping has become a major trend in the United States and Midwest. The vaping illness outbreak is causing more than 2,000 people to be subject to various lung diseases that are attacking U.S.’s younger population.  There isn’t a way to quantify the major ramifications to the epidemic because the outbreak is recent, but there are now leads that show various chemicals causing damage to old and new smokers across America.

Exploding Vape Pens

There have been numerous deaths and injuries around the country as the result of faulty e-cigarette devices that explode or catch fire. In 2018, a Florida man died as a result of an exploding vape pen. The device caused projectile wounds and severe burns. If you have been injured by a faulty vape or mod device, you may be entitled to damages. Always consult with an attorney if you think you may have a claim.

Due to the Lithium-Ion batteries used in vape mod devices, serious burns can occur from battery acid. Even if the device is in your pocket, you can still experience deep burns as a result of battery acid. 

Causes of vape explosions include:

• Chargers that aren’t provided by the manufacturer 
• Faulty or damaged batteries
• Use of re-wrapped batteries
• Contact with other batteries or metal objects
• Unregulated devices (Devices without temperature control, wattage control, or voltage control)

Other E-Cigarette Damages

There are many effects connected to vaping, many reports have included:

• Abdominal pain
• Cardiovascular disease
• Extreme addiction
• Eye Irritation
• Bronchiolitis obliterans (popcorn lung)
• Heart attack or heart problems
• Vomiting or nausea
• Lung Mental health or behavioral issues
• or respiratory failure
• Nicotine poisoning
• Pregnancy complication or birth defects
• Cancer
• Seizures
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Other complications

Typically, chest pains and harsh breathing complications have resulted in victims going to the hospital and these signs are sometimes the first symptoms for vape-related illnesses.

What’s Being Done?

Due to many unknown factors for smoking e-cigarettes, anyone vaping would be considered victims of chemical exposure. Vaping devices consist of an unknown amount of chemicals and are claimed to have fewer chemicals than cigarettes (which range from 5,000 to 7,000 chemicals). The CDC has narrowed a few of their investigations siting the vitamin E acetate as a major component to developing lung disease cases but is not in every case study. Normally, vitamin E acetate is used for skincare benefits and other benefits, but vitamin E becomes dangerous when inhaled.

Various tests have been conducted, and recently, the food and drug administration (FDA) is working to ban detailed marketing toward teenagers, including flavored vaping. Recent studies have shown a significant connection in the flavored vaping increases to an increased risk of cancer. There was speculation, and some reports have shown, when flavored vaping was released, marketers targeted teenagers which increased sales while exposing younger ages to vape-related illnesses. 

What information should I believe?

The FDA has taken actions to regulate how and where vaping is taking place.  There has not been any official evidence from the FDA to prove e-cigarettes are safer to smoke than cigarettes, and the FDA has not approved any vaping products until they gather undeniable information on the issue.

Where can I get legal help if I think I may have an e-cigarette claim?

If you think you might have a case related to vaping, please contact our e-cigarette attorneys at Clark, Perdue & List for a free consultation. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you navigate legal hurdles and help you determine whether you have a claim.