E-Cigarette Explosion Lawsuits

RPWB Leads Fight Against E-Cigarette Explosions

RPWB attorneys are litigating product liability and personal injury cases against electronic cigarette and personal vaporizer manufacturers.

We have a long track-record of representing people who were burned by defective products, including gas cans, deep fryers and gas grills. A recent example is our work to help more than 50 people who were hurt or killed by exploding gas cans. One group of clients received more than $60 million from Blitz U.S.A, Inc., and Walmart as a part of a settlement in the Blitz U.S.A., Inc. bankruptcy.

RPWB was named a 2018 Best Law Firm by U.S. News & World Report in the areas of products liability and personal injury litigation. We are the top listed plaintiff product liability law firm in South Carolina as rated by Best Lawyers in America.

More about E-Cigarette Explosions

E-cigarettes typically run on high-power, lithium-ion batteries that are highly combustible. Most e-cigarettes or personal vaporizers utilize a cylindrical housing area for the battery. When one of these batteries fails, the e-cigarette or personal vaporizer can either explode or rupture at one of its ends, causing the device to be propelled like a rocket. Serious injury to users’ hands and faces have been associated with the use of e-cigarettes or personal vaporizing hardware. In some cases, the explosions have also caused house and car fires.

RPWB attorneys are currently involved in litigation stemming from injuries caused by the explosion of electronic cigarettes or personal vaporizers. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys about injuries resulting from the use of these types of devices, please contact Matt Nickles.

Lithium Ion Battery Explosions

Exploding e-cigarettes are just one instance of high-powered lithium ion batteries exploding. Often produced in unregulated factories in Asia, these batteries have been known to explode in a variety of products, according to a recent report in the New York Times.

Often battery explosions happen without warning, which poses even more of a threat for products that are kept close to a person’s body, such as e-cigarettes, cameras, cell phones and other personal electronics. In one of our cases, a construction worker suffered severe leg injuries when a spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket. Upon closer inspection, the battery had been manufactured as part of a multi-battery pack by Sony and sold in bulk to a buyer who supplies vape shops. The buyer broke the pack apart and sold the batteries individually without any protective circuitry or internal temperature controls.

In March 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning that lithium batteries in the storage area of airplanes pose a risk of “catastrophic hull loss.” Six months later, in October 2016, the FAA banned Samsung Note 7 phones from airplanes after numerous reports of exploding phones.

RPWB attorneys are involved in product liability and personal injury litigation against parties who are responsible for bringing defective and dangerous products to market. We understand the science of these cases and have a long record of bringing justice to the victims of dangerous products.

What Does an E-Cigarette Explosion Look Like

A convenience store camera in Kentucky recently recorded the moment when a man’s e-cigarette exploded in his pocket. The force and heat of the explosions can cause serious injuries and property damage.