E-CIGARETTES
On the market since 2007, E-Cigarettes are often touted as safer than regular cigarettes. However, they have never been properly vetted by the FDA and recent reports show that they have been known to cause lung disease, and in some cases, have been known to explode during use.
E-Cigarettes, or “vapes,” consist of a cartridge filled with nicotine solution and a small battery. The solution is heated into a vapor which the user inhales and exhales like smoke. The nicotine that is used in e-cigarettes is the same nicotine in regular cigarettes and nicotine patches. But, the solution used in E-Cigarettes contains neurotoxins, which are alleged to be poisonous when ingested or when inhaled or absorbed through the skin or eyes.
There have been recent news reports linking E-Cigarettes to a variety of lung diseases and deaths, and class action lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers, alleging manufacturing, design and warning defects.
The strongest class-action lawsuit in this area comes out of Sarasota, Florida, where a teenager claims she became addicted to JUUL’s e-cigarettes after she began smoking them at age 14. The suit contends that since JUUL signed a financial agreement with Altria (a tobacco company) in December 2018, it falls under the 2006 RICO rulings that came down against Big Tobacco. Therefore, the suit argues that JUUL should be held to the same standards as tobacco companies, including the expectation that they disclose the health risks associated with their product to consumers. This suit claims they did not, and thus violated RICO.
This suit alleges JUUL intentionally made its product attractive to children, designed it to be addictive, advertised it incorrectly and illegally, and is now making fraudulent profits from these actions. They say that JUUL frequently hid safety information from consumers about how powerful the nicotine salt is that it uses and how addictive its product is.
If you or a loved one may have been harmed as a result of using an E-Cigarette, our team can advocate on your behalf and help you recover your losses.
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