Exploding E-Cigarettes
Since 2003, the sale of e-cigarettes has been on the rise, gaining huge popularity within the last few years with a reported 6.7% of adults trying e-cigarettes and 12% of high school students. While e-cigarettes are marketed as a safe alternative to smoking, one growing concern is the dangers associated with the lithium-ion batteries exploding in pockets and blowing up in users faces.
Overheating Lithium-Ion Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries heat the aerosol cartridge in e-cigarettes, releasing a vapor. These batteries are supposed to have protection circuits that shut down the batteries when they overheat, but cheap versions can be defective. When lithium-ion batteries fail in an e-cigarette, they behave like “flaming rockets” as described in a report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Exploding e-cigarettes due to these faulty batteries have been known to cause:
- Harmful burns to the hands
- Harmful burns to the face
- Fractured bones
- Loss of eyesight
Lithium-ion batteries have caused problems in consumer products for years, from hoverboards to smartphones, and now e-cigarettes. According to a WIRED article, the majority of problems with these batteries tend to occur in cheap products that are churned out of factories.
When e-cigarettes gained popularity and grew from a $20 million industry in 2008 to $2.8 billion industry in 2015, hundreds of e-cigarette manufacturers jumped at the opportunity to produce a popular product in an unregulated market, purchasing cheap lithium-ion batteries and other equipment that was not regulated. As of 2014, there were 466 brands of e-cigarettes and over 95 percent of those devices were manufactured in China.
Have You Been Injured by an Exploding E-Cigarette?
With decades of defective product litigation experience, the attorneys at Roberts & Roberts can help you make a claim against e-cigarette makers. Give Roberts & Roberts a call at 903-597-6000 for a free consultation.