E-Cigarettes are a battery operated device that is designed to take the place of actual cigarettes for those who want to quit smoking for health reasons, but find it difficult – as most do – to give up the habit and the nicotine addiction. This is why E-Cigarettes were designed, as an alternative to smoking cigarettes, with all of the nicotine, but without all of the tar and other substances of tobacco.
There are even E-Cigarettes that don’t include nicotine, which are intended to help people ease their way off of the addictive substance while still allowing for the general habit of smoking. Sometimes, people will start with the nicotine E-Cigarettes, and then slowly transition to the non-nicotine E-Cigarettes, with the ultimate goal of quitting altogether. Other times, people will switch to E-Cigarettes as a permanent replacement to the typical cigarette. Today, nearly 13% of adults in the US have tried this alternative to smoking cigarettes, and nearly 4% use the devices throughout the week.
That equates to about 9 million people, and many of them live right here in South Carolina.
Isn’t This Alternative to Cigarettes Great News For Public Health?
A lot of people think that the option of E-Cigarettes and their increased use is excellent news when it comes to health of those who are now former smokers and those around them who no longer have to worry about second hand smoke. Unfortunately, it has become more and more obvious as time goes by that E-Cigarettes are actually a hazard, themselves.
How so? Well, they can explode, for one thing. If you or a loved one has been injured by an exploding E-Cigarette, then you’ve already discovered this fact the hard way, and you likely have a personal injury claim against the manufacturer, also known as a product liability claim.
Examples of Exploding E-Cigarettes and Associated Injuries
One prime example a South Carolina personal injury claim associated with an exploding E-Cigarette involved a Wilmington man who was using such a device and that device exploded and caused him to lose an eye from his injuries. The news has been all over such incidents, and many who enjoy using E-Cigarettes and see them as a safe alternative have had to face the reality that they may be dangerous.
In most cases, E-Cigarette injuries are related to the device exploding because of a defective battery. These injuries can be quite extreme, like the man who lost an eye and the rare case of broken bones, and can also result in serious burn injuries. Yet the prospect of getting injured by E-Cigarettes is not as unlikely as many people think, either. In fact, there were six injuries treated by one Colorado hospital within the space of just two months. This should be alarming to anyone who uses E-Cigarettes or has a loved one who uses them. Yet, if such an injury has already occurred in your life, you need to know about the legal options available to you to receive compensation.
Pursuing Compensation After An E-Cigarette Injury Occurs
To understand your options for pursuing legal compensation after an E-Cigarette injury, you need to know who might be responsible for your damages. To begin with there is a responsibility on the part of the manufacturers and the distributors of the devices. If the product was defective, it should have never made it into the hands of a consumer. Yet, there are different kinds of defects that may apply. All of the following are covered under product liability personal injury claims in South Carolina.
A design defect is what happens when something flawed in the design process results in a full line of products (in this case, the E-Cigarettes) is defective because of that design. In such cases, the claim should be brought against the company which designed the E-Cigarette that caused your injury.
If just one unit from the line of products is defective, then this is likely the responsibility of the manufacturer, which failed to properly implement an otherwise effective design. In such cases, the claim should be brought against the E-Cigarette manufacturer.
Then, there are the labeling defects which mean that the designer or manufacturer failed to provide appropriate warning labels to warn of any potential harm that could be caused by the product.
When To Contact a South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer
Any time you or someone you love has been injured by an E-Cigarette in South Carolina, you need to contact a determined South Carolina personal injury attorney right away. The attorneys at the Connell Law Firm will provide a free consultation and get you started on the path to receiving fair compensation for your injuries and associated damages. Call us today to schedule your consultation.