VAPING

Vape companies’ claim of harm-reduction have often concealed the hidden dangers of e-cigarettes and vape devices themselves.

Among teens and young adults, vaping is becoming increasingly popular. Pitched as a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes, we are only now starting to learn about many of the hidden dangers associated with the practice. To complicate the matter even more, defects in the design, the batteries, and even ordinary use of some of these devices has been connected to serious personal injury that can be complicated to recover damages from.

Vaping devices are typically powered by a lithium-ion battery. These batteries come in various sizes and also power levels, which aren’t always denoted well on their outer markings. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to put one of these batteries in a device that it wasn’t intended for with serious consequences such as an explosion or fire. In addition, vape device manufacturers will sometimes use sub-par batteries in their devices to save money –these are known as “seconds” and were previously rejected by other manufacturers or wholesale distributors, and are also more prone to failure or dangerous incidents that could cause you harm.

Also complicating matters is the fact that many vaping devices are not all-in-one solutions but are combinations of various parts from different companies (a power box from one, battery from another, stem from a third, and finally concentrate from the dispensary). A mis-match of one or more of these components can cause failure (sometimes explosively so) and in the case of such an accident it is extremely important to have a skilled attorney who is able to look at all the parties responsible for the manufacture of the device to figure out exactly who can be held legally responsible.

Beyond just the device or battery failing and causing direct harm, there is also the harm that comes with increased nicotine consumption that many vape users experience. While often billed as a way to decrease your nicotine use, the variation in nicotine content of various vape “juice” (the liquid that vape devices use which contains flavoring and nicotine) means that there can be no way for the user to have a clear idea how much total nicotine they are actually inhaling or what other harmful chemicals might be inhaled. One JuuL “pod” (a single cartridge of vape juice used in the popular vape device) contains as much nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes, and other manufacturers have liquids containing as much as three time that amount! This means that your attempt to use less nicotine by switching from cigarettes to vaping could actually lead you to become even more addicted to the very substance you were trying to break free from.

Determining who is legally responsible when a switch to vaping causes you more harm than less can be seriously complicated. What isn’t, however is the determination that you need a skilled attorney to help. For over 30 years Slatter Law Firm has been helping those harmed by products such as vaping devices get the compensation they deserve. We know the steps to take, and will fight to get you or your loved ones the compensation you deserve. If you or someone you know has been injured by a vape device, please call us today for your free consultation at (310) 405-0964 or toll-free at (888) 293-0404.