For years, JUULs, e-cigarettes, and other vape devices have been marketed as “safer” alternatives to smoking. While anti-smoking organizations warn that these devices still carry a risk of addiction, the true harm is now being questioned. Victims who suffered injuries from these devices know better – these devices are dangerous. Many victims are now coming forward to file lawsuits based on the fact that companies like JUUL allegedly produced vape fluid that contained harmful and addictive substances like increased nicotine levels and formaldehyde, despite advertisements that the product was safer than cigarettes or contained lower amounts of the nicotine.
Can I Sue JUUL?
You may be entitled from compensation from JUUL if you:
- Used a JUUL regularly when you were under the age of 26
- Consider yourself to be currently addicted to nicotine
- Started using a JUUL before you regularly smoked traditional cigarettes
- Had to seek medical treatment because of nicotine poisoning, seizures, a stroke, heart issues, pulmonary issues, lung issues, suicidal thoughts or attempts, mental health or behavioral issues, complications during pregnancy, or birth defects
The Reiff Law Firm’s product liability and JUUL e-cigarette injury lawyers are already carefully investigating and evaluating claims to represent victims of JUUL’s misleading advertising and injuries in lawsuits to recover damages.
THE DANGERS OF JUULS AND E-CIGS ARE JUST NOW BECOMING KNOWN
E-cigarette companies claim that their products are intended for people who can’t quit smoking by other means or as a ‘safer alternative to traditional smoking products like cigarettes’. What ended up happening, is that the largest markets for JUUL and other vape pens is teens and young adults. This is because JUUL focused on flavored “vape juice,” which makes vaping far more attractive to teens than traditional smoking. Many of these companies are ultimately owned and operated by big tobacco companies, and vapes and e-cigs tend to contain ingredients and materials that are just as dangerous as traditional smoking despite advertisements to the contrary.
One of the most serious problems with e-cigarettes comes from new cases involving alleged fraud and deceit on the part of vape and tobacco companies selling these products. Advertisements for JUUL and other e-cig products commonly advertise that these products are safer than smoking, leading consumers to believe that the products do not contain dangerous chemicals found in traditional cigarettes, such as tar, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, arsenic, acetone, butane, and nicotine. Unfortunately for consumers, many have felt misled because, in reality, many dangerous chemicals are present in JUUL and other vape products, exposing consumers to serious dangers without disclosing the risks.
FRAUD IN ADVERTISING ALLEGATIONS FOR JUUL AND OTHER VAPE PENS
Many consumers today have no way of knowing what is in a product unless the company discloses its contents. Advertising and marketing for e-cigarettes are not nearly as regulated as the marketing of traditional cigarettes to the point where just in the past few years, e-cigarettes were being blatantly advertised to young people through social media. The appealing flavors, small size, and easy use of products like JUUL make these products especially attractive to children and teens. Even worse, new allegations claim that the companies that produce JUUL and other vape products misled consumers. If you or a loved one vaped without knowing the dangerous contents of these products, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer for fraudulent advertising.
Many vape products are advertised as safer than smoking, focusing on the supposedly lower nicotine content and lack of actual smoke as “proof” of their safety. The claims that these products are “safe” or “safer” are arguably misleading in many cases because the products do still contain very harmful ingredients such as nicotine and formaldehyde. Even flavored “vape juice” can still contain these harmful ingredients.
Because of the way that vapes are advertised, many people are under the impression that the only thing that vapes and e-cigarettes emit is water vapor. In reality, while some of the vapor emitted from an e-cigarette may be water vapor, the rest is an aerosol of the other contents of the “vape juice.” Breathing in any chemicals or vapors into your lungs can mean absorbing those chemicals into your lungs and putting those chemicals into your bloodstream. This essentially means that when you vape, you are breathing in “vape juice” and all of its ingredients – whatever they may be.
The advertising for many products specifically states the amount of nicotine in these products – but many have found those amounts to be inaccurate. This can also lead to unjust enrichment and false advertising claims.
INJURIES CAUSED BY CARCINOGENS AND HARMFUL CHEMICALS IN “VAPE JUICE”
It is already firmly established that at least some of the ingredients in e-cigarette and JUUL fluid are human carcinogens. This means that these chemicals are known to contribute to causing cancer in humans, ranking these chemicals among some of the most dangerous chemicals there are. Formaldehyde, for one, is a human carcinogen traditionally used in embalming fluid, laboratory settings, and construction materials. While nicotine might not be a carcinogen, per se, it is still a dangerous chemical – and e-cigarettes often contain much higher concentrations of nicotine, with the Truth Initiative claiming that one JUUL pod contains about as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes.
Other products that contain seriously dangerous chemicals have warnings on them. This is a standard procedure for many products, including cigarettes, which have a “Surgeon General’s Warning” on the packaging. E-cigarettes, in most areas, do not have these same regulations, which means that many consumers may purchase these products without knowing how many dangerous chemicals might be inside them. Because of competition between various product manufacturers, it is unlikely for these products to contain a full ingredients list, so without warnings, it is nearly impossible for many consumers to know the dangers of the products they are using.
To make matters worse, many products are explicitly advertised as containing “low” amounts of nicotine – or being nicotine-free. In most cases, vape fluid does contain nicotine, and often in higher concentrations than cigarettes. Some advertisements are patently misleading and could actually misrepresent the amount of nicotine in the product.
For many victims of these advertising practices, it is already too late. Addiction to nicotine after smoking JUUL products or permanent health effects from exposure to these chemicals and ingredients could set in before you even realize the product you’ve purchased is dangerous. If you or a loved one were a victim of this kind of advertising, contact our law offices today to discuss filing a lawsuit.
INDIVIDUAL AND CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST JUUL AND OTHER E-CIG MANUFACTURERS
Our attorneys are currently involved in litigation against JUUL for sales of nicotine vape products. Our lawyers and other attorneys across the country are fighting on behalf of victims, many of which are minors, who allege they were misled by JUUL’s advertising strategies. Among these allegations claim that JUUL incorrectly advertised the amount of nicotine in their products and that they attempted to sell to minors through social media campaigns advertising the luxury of their JUUL products. JUUL’s attempts to foster nicotine addiction and sell their products at the cost of human safety is unacceptable, and our attorneys will fight for other victims subject to this kind of mistreatment.
It is unfair for big tobacco and vape companies to enrich themselves at the expense of their consumers’ health and safety. Our lawyers fight for victims around the country who have faced adverse health conditions and increased risk of coronary vascular disease, damage to internal organs, and other immune system and inflammation issues from vaping. In many claims, the core issue is the fact that these products not only contain nicotine and other dangerous substances, but they also typically have levels that are higher than advertised, and these companies irresponsibly target minors and young people with their advertising and attractive JUUL pod flavors.
Many other companies use some of the same sales tactics. Our attorneys are available to discuss potential individual lawsuits and class action consolidation in these cases so that we can fight to get you and others in your situation the compensation they deserve after being mistreated by companies like JUUL.
LUNG INFECTIONS AND INJURIES
Other victims have been subject to lung infections and other injuries. Recent cases involving lung infections may be limited to illegally marketed marijuana vape pens – but some cases have been linked to legitimate products on the open market. If you or a loved one suffered from popcorn lung or other lung infections due to an e-cigarette or vape pen, contact our attorneys to discuss your case.
Cases of popcorn lung and other physical injuries are often caused by malfunctioning e-cigarettes. Overheated vape fluid can essentially burn the inside of the user’s throat and lungs as they breathe in the vaporized fluid. This is the main way that “popcorn lung” and other injuries develop. Other injuries from vape pens and e-cigarettes have involved claims that rechargeable batteries or other parts of the vape device caught fire or exploded. Our attorneys can also take your case and fight to get you compensation for injuries you suffered from a dangerous vape pen or a product that did not contain a warning about this kind of injury.
TO SEE IF YOU HAVE AN INJURY CASE AGAINST JUUL OR ANOTHER E-CIGARETTE COMPANY, CALL OUR LAWYERS TODAY
If you or a loved one were subject to injuries, addiction, or dangerous chemical exposure because of false or misleading advertisements about the safety of e-cigarettes and the chemical content of their “vape juice,” contact our law offices today. Our lawyers are carefully investigating claims to represent victims of misleading advertisements, missing warnings, lung infections, popcorn lung, and other injuries from JUULs, vapes, and e-cigs.
For your free case evaluation and to learn more about filing a lawsuit in these cases, contact the Reiff Law Firm today or call us at (215) 883-8028.
