Chicago E-Cigarette Injury Attorney

Lawyers Assisting With Burn Injuries From Defective Batteries in Illinois and Throughout the U.S.

The dangers of smoking tobacco are well-known, and as a result, the use of traditional cigarettes has declined significantly in recent decades. However, a new form of smoking has risen to take its place in recent years: e-cigarettes. These devices promise to deliver nicotine or other substances through the inhalation of vapor, supposedly eliminating the potential risks of lung cancer that can result from inhaling smoke. While the jury is still out on the long term health risks of vaping, users of vape products face additional immediate dangers in the form of devices that explode or catch fire.

Electronic cigarettes, which are also known as e-cigarettes, e-cigs, or vape pens, use a heating element to vaporize a liquid that can be inhaled. In order to quickly generate high temperatures, these devices use powerful lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, these devices have been known to explode, which can cause serious burn injuries to e-cigarette users or others who are nearby. The root cause of these explosions are lithium-ion batteries. These batteries were not designed for this type of use and do not contain the necessary safety features that regular AA and AAA batteries have that prevent explosions. As a result, lithium-ion batteries are not a safe source of energy for vape devices.

At Pullano Law Offices, we have worked with multiple clients who have suffered injuries from exploding vape pens, and we understand the damage that these devices can cause. We will aggressively prosecute claims against the manufacturers of these dangerous products while keeping two goals in mind at all times: (1) obtaining full and fair compensation for your injuries, including medical care, income lost, pain and suffering experienced, and disfigurement; and (2) compelling negligent manufacturers to make these batteries safe so that people are not injured in the future.

Potential Dangers from Exploding E-Cigarette Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries provide a powerful, long-lasting charge, and they are used in a wide variety of devices, including cell phones, laptop computers, power tools, and children’s toys. However, they are not a good substitute for the alkaline batteries used in many small, handheld devices. Instead, lithium-ion batteries function best and are safest when multiple cells are packaged together in a single unit and encased in a protective plastic coating known as a “battery pack.” The battery packs not only protect the individual battery cells inside from being damaged, but the pack itself contains safety features that prevent the batteries from experiencing a thermal runaway. As a result, the lithium-ion batteries stored in a battery pack cannot short circuit and explode.

E-cigarettes and other small devices utilize lithium-ion batteries in a way they were never designed for, and this creates significant hazards. Without the necessary plastic coating or protections in place to prevent thermal runaway, these batteries are much easier to damage, and single battery cells that are used individually are more likely to short out and explode. Coins and change in a person’s pocket that come into contact with the lithium ion battery cell can cause it to short circuit and explode unexpectedly. Few people are aware of the high risks of using these products, and explosions have been known to cause extreme burn injuries to the face, hands, legs, or other body parts. Many e-cigarette and battery manufacturers are aware the batteries are being utilized in e-cigarettes and vape devices and the history of these products exploding and severely burning people, and they should be held accountable for the harm caused by their negligence.