Experienced Rhode Island Lawyers
*2020 Top Rated in R.I.*
Updated November 7th, 2019
Are you or a loved one a victim of a Vaping or E-Cigarette related injury? You are not alone. Nationwide, as of late 2019 hundreds of individuals have reported vaping related injuries and illnesses while utilizing what has been touted as a safer option than traditional cigarette smoking. Additionally, an epidemic of young people have started smoking e-cigarettes without ever having smoked before. Vaping has been linked to injuries such as:
- Severe Addiction
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Heart Attack or Heart Problems
- Lung or Respiratory Failure
- Mental Health or Behavioral Issues
- Nicotine Poisoning
- Pregnancy Complication or Birth Defects
- Seizures
- Suicidal Thoughts or Attempts
- Stroke
What are EVALI Injuries?
According to information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on November 5th, 2019, there have been over 2,051 cases of e-cigarette, or vaping product use associated lung injury reported in every state except Alaska. Thirty nine deaths have been reported in 24 states and the median age of deceased patients was 53 years old and ranged from 17 to 75. Currently there are more deaths under investigation.
Top Rated EVALI Injury Lawyers
The CDC has termed injuries resulting from e-cigarette or vaping product use as EVALI cases. The attorneys at Marin and Barrett, Inc. represent clients suffering from EVALI injuries in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. If you or a loved one has suffered an EVALI injury as a result of vaping, please call our top rated attorneys today. Our EVALI Injury Attorneys are on the cutting edge of this issue and can get you the help and compensation you deserve for your vaping related injury.
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a lung disease or suffered an injury due to vaping (EVALI injury), you need to speak with a knowledgable product liability attorney in your local jurisdiction. The attorneys at Marin and Barrett, Inc. are currently accepting new clients who have suffered an injury due to a vaping, e-cigarette, EVALI or JUUL usage in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. We are available 24/7 to provide local advice and counsel at 401-228-8271 or via email at [email protected]
For more information on how we can help you in your particular state, please review the state specific information on our website. We are currently accepting new vaping injury clients in the following jurisdictions:
What are E-Cigarettes and JUUL Vape Pens?
E-Cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to hold a liquid. The E-Cigarette device produces an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine – the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products – flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol wen the user exhales into the air.
The E-Cigarettes are known by many different names including “e-cigs,” “e-hookas,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).” Some e-cigarettes are made to look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some resemble pens, USB sticks, and other everyday items. Larger devices such as tank systems, or “mods,” do not resemble tobacco products. Using an e-cigarette is sometimes called “vaping” and can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.
What is in E-Cigarette Aerosol?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the aerosol that users breath from the e-cigarette device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:
- Nicotine
- Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
- Flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease
- Volatile organic compounds
- Cancer-causing chemicals
- Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
What are the JUUL Lawsuits?
Recently, a number of lawsuits have been filed that claim that the manufacturer of the JUUL e-cigarette devices deceptively marketed a highly concentrated nicotine delivery system to teenagers and young adults in order to get them addicted to JUUL products. If you or a loved one have become addicted to nicotine as a result of using JUUL in Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island we can help.
What are JUUL Vape Pens and E-Cigarettes?
Within the past ten years, electronic cigarettes have been billed to be a safer option than traditional cigarettes. The recent popularity of electronic cigarettes also known as e-cigarettes, vaporizer cigarettes, and/or vape pens has been driven by the introduction of JUUL Labs e-cigarette device back in 2015. JUUL Labs, a San Francisco start-up company, is a leading manufacturer of e-cigarettes and cigarettes have increased in usage amongst tobacco users, as they were believed e-liquid flavors.
Promoted as “the alternative for adult smokers”, the JUUL vape pen, which is the size of a USB flash drive, is a vaporizer that is used with a JUUL pod (nicotine delivery system) that contains a mixture of nicotine, glycerol, propylene glycol, benzoic acid, and flavoring. The JUUL pod flavors include, Mango, Cool Mint, Cool Cucumber, Fruit Medley, Crème Brulee, Classic Menthol, Virginia Tobacco, and Class Tobacco among others.
Why is JUUL and E-Cigarette Use So High Among Youth and Young Adults?
In December 2018, the Surgeon General issued an advisory on e-cigarette use among youth, declaring the growing problem an epidemic. According to the CDC, “The rise in e-cigarette use during 2017-2018 is likely because of the recent popularity of e-cigarettes shaped like a USB flash drive, such as JUUL; these products can be used discreetly, have a high nicotine content, and come in flavors that appeal to youth.”
The availability of flavors may also contribute to JUUL's popularity among youth. Data from the 2016- 2017 wave of the FDA's Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study found that 96.1 percent of 12-17 year olds who had initiated e-cigarette use since the last survey wave started with a flavored product. Additionally, it found that 97 percent of current youth e-cigarette users had used a flavored e-cigarette in the past month and 70.3 percent say they use e-cigarettes “because they come in flavors I like.” More recent data also found that the vast majority of youth e-cigarette users had used flavored products. In addition, current use of menthol or mint flavored e-cigarettes among high school e-cigarette users increased from 42.3 percent in 2017 to 51.2 percent in 2018.
A report by Stanford University researchers concluded that JUUL's 2015 launch marketing was “patently youth oriented” and “subsequently JUUL's principal advertising themes have been closely aligned with that of traditional tobacco advertising”
JUUL Lawsuits brought by E-Cigarette Injury Attorneys
Many lawsuits have been filed against JUUL Labs within the past few months, including a lawsuit recently filed by an Ohio mother on behalf of her two teen daughters claimed that JUUL failed to warn its customers of the high levels of nicotine in its devices. The complaint stated that the two twin daughters, who are now 16 years old, began vaping in 2016 and initially purchased the devices in a store that “knowingly sold e-cigarettes to underage customers.” The teens quickly became addicted to their e-cigarettes and were eventually vaping two JUUL pods a day. According to the lawsuit, one JUUL pod contains the same amount of nicotine as two packs of cigarettes.
Similar lawsuits have claimed that in addition to containing excessive levels of nicotine, JUUL products are advertised as being a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes. Recent cases, however, have shown that vaping JUUL e-cigarettes is linked to a number of health conditions, including heart disease, lung damage, and seizures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is inspecting the recent hospitalizations of more than 149 individuals whose health problems are linked to vaping. The patients, who are predominantly teens and young adults, reportedly developed severe lung illnesses that have been associated with vaping.
According to recent cases, vaping also puts users at risk of experiencing seizures, which is a known symptom of nicotine poisoning. The FDA has received about 127 reports of seizures linked to vaping since 2010, and issued a warning about the potential correlation between vaping and seizures (convulsions) in April 2019.
Amid a lack of research and information on the health risks of using e-cigarettes, an Illinois patient was reportedly the first to die of a lung illness that was associated with vaping. Health experts say that more research needs to be done in order to understand the health implications of vaping, before other users face a similar fate.
I Was Injured by E-Cigarette or JUUL Vape Use – Where Can I Get Legal Advice?
Marin and Barrett, Inc. is currently accepting e-cigarette induced injury cases. If you or a loved one has been injured, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Our experienced local attorneys are available toll free 24 hours a day at (888) 34VAPELAW.
