E-Cigarette Explosions Cause Devastating Injuries
E-cigarette explosions have not received the attention that other health concerns over vaping have encountered. But they should. In the two years between 2015 to 2017, over 2,000 users, suffering the effects of explosions and burns, have presented in the ER. The injuries range from flame burns to explosion damage. Some burns require tissue grafts, while others need extensive wound care. Explosive damage can result in facial fractures and tooth loss. Still, other blast injuries have resulted in death. Let’s take a look at e-cigarette explosions and their resulting trauma. We’ll also review industry efforts to avoid these injuries and the FDA’s response to the threat of e-cigarette explosions.
Statistics
The use of e-cigarettes has grown rapidly among older teenagers in the past few years. There was a 78-percent increase in the number of teens who used e-cigarettes during the year 2018, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey. The number of middle schoolers vaping increased by 48 percent during the same period. This increase introduces more teens to the damaging effects of e-cigarette explosions and fires.
Cases Involving E-Cigarette Explosions and Fires
The following are a few of the accidents that have occurred:
- A 17-year-old teenager’s e-cigarette exploded in his mouth, causing a fractured jaw and the loss of several teeth. The teen said there was no warning before the device exploded. He underwent surgery to repair a fractured mandible or lower jaw bone, remove necrotic (dead) tissue and several teeth. The teenager was not aware that e-cigarette explosions could occur.
- A Texas man died when his carotid artery was torn by an e-cigarette explosion. The carotid arteries are major blood vessels located in the neck that supply blood to the head, face, and brain. A tear in the carotid is often fatal.
- A vaper died in Florida after an explosion of his e-cigarette. The explosion caused a piece of the device to be projected into his brain.
- A teenager in Oregon lost an eye when his device exploded.
- A young female teen was burned when her e-cigarette exploded. She was left with extensive burns on her chest, hands, and arms after her clothes caught on fire.
- A 14-year-old girl was burned when an e-cigarette exploded in the pocket of someone next to her on an amusement park ride.
- A 14-year-old was blinded after an e-cigarette explosion at a mall in Brooklyn.
Why Isn’t the FDA Taking a Stand?
The vaping industry is largely unregulated. Because of the uptick in explosions since 2017, the industry needs both safety regulations and changes in the design of the units. The FDA says it is concerned about the explosions but plans no recalls. A voluntary recall was initiated by R.J. Reynolds in 2018 because 2.6 million e-cigarette units posed a fire risk. The FDA offers the following advice to users:
- Make sure batteries do not come into contact with metal.
- Use vaping units that have safety devices such as vent holes, overcharging prevention, and firing button locks.
- Do not charge the device overnight or leave it unattended.
- Use only chargers intended for vaping units. Do not use a phone or computer charger.
- If batteries get wet, exchange them.
- Never remove safety features.
- Charge the device on a flat surface that is not made of flammable material such as the couch.
- Remember that moisture and high temperatures can damage the vaping device.
Watch YouTube Video: Mayo Clinic Minute: Are E-cigarettes Safe? In the following video, experts from Mayo Clinic discuss the dangers of e-cigarettes and urge users to be cautious.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. Being hurt or watching your teenager suffer due to a vaping accident can be devastating. In order to obtain the compensation you deserve, the insight of an injury lawyer is critical. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach out to me online.
I’ve helped numerous residents in all types of traumatic injuries, wrongful death, and vehicular accidents since 1982.
I am proud to say that I have been inducted as a member of the following organizations:
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel: Membership is offered to those attorneys who practice law with the highest degree of legal excellence.
- Million Dollar Advocates: Only lawyers who have won more than $1 million for a client are offered membership.
Learn about my practice on the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/e-cigarette-vaping-blu-cigs-blu-1301670/
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