The products commonly referred to e-cigarettes have been increasingly making headlines of late. The popular vaping devices, used in Ohio and across the nation, are often touted as a tool for smoking cessation, but it appears that fires and explosions involving the items are on the rise. Most recently, a vape shop is facing a product liability lawsuit after one such device left a man with multiple burns. Allegedly, the device exploded in his pocket.
According to court documents from the Sept. 25, 2016 filing, a lithium-ion Efest battery caught fire inside a vaping device with a Chinese Sigelei Spark Mod. Unfortunately, the device was in the man’s pocket at the time. When it exploded, it substantially burned areas of the man’s legs, groin and hands. The plaintiff seeks in excess of $50,000 in monetary damages to cover his injuries.
It is alleged that the shop where the man purchased the device was negligent for selling a product that did not provide overheat protection – which might have prevented the explosion – and for selling a product that caught fire. In addition, the shop was allegedly negligent for selling components for the vaping device that were manufactured by different companies and were not compatible, thus resulting in the explosion. It is also claimed that the shop failed to warn the man of proper, safe transportation methods for the vaping device, and failed to provide sufficient quality control.
The U.S. Fire Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducted a study in 2014 that listed 25 different reported occurrences over the previous five years in which e-cigarettes were involved in fires and/or explosions. According the court filing above, incidents of fires and explosions involving vaping devices have only continued to rise since then, with an additional 42 occurrences reported in 2015 and 83 in 2016. If anyone in Ohio has been similarly injured by a vaping device, they have every right to contact an attorney to explore their legal options for pursuing a product liability suit.
Source: mcdonoughvoice.com, “Bushnell man sues vape shop after device explodes”, Lainie Steelman, Jan. 13, 2017
