E-cigarettes are very popular in Michigan and elsewhere, but they can also be extremely hazardous. Over the past decade, thousands of e-cigarette mods and/or batteries have suddenly exploded while someone was using them or storing them in their pockets, causing severe burns, shattered teeth and broken bones.
For example, a case study recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine describes an incident involving a 17-year-old boy who suffered a broken jaw, broken teeth and soft-tissue injuries when his e-cigarette exploded in his face. He required extensive reconstructive surgery to repair the damage and still needs to get dental implants to replace his missing teeth. A doctor who treated the boy said that consumers need to understand how dangerous the devices can be.
According to a 2018 study for the United States Government, over 2,000 Americans sought emergency care for injuries suffered in e-cigarette explosions between 2015 and 2017. Multiple people have also died. A Texas man died in February when his e-cigarette blew up and shrapnel sliced open his carotid artery. In 2018, a Florida man was killed when his e-cigarette exploded, shooting shrapnel into his head. Safety advocates say that faulty lithium batteries are to blame for the incidents, but e-cigarette manufacturers insist that some consumers don’t charge the batteries properly, leaving them vulnerable to failure. Despite facing increasing pressure to recall the devices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has so far declined to do so.
Michigan consumers who have been injured by an e-cigarette battery might want to contact an attorney about their case. The attorney may be able to gather medical records and other evidence to prove the product was defective and help prepare an e-cigarette product liability lawsuit on the victim’s behalf. If the claim is successful, the e-cigarette manufacturer might be ordered to compensate the victim for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and more.
