People with long-standing dependence on nicotine and tobacco products were among the first to start using vaporizers or e-cigarettes as an alternative delivery method for nicotine. Marijuana users quickly caught on to these pocket-sized devices as a convenient means of administering THC and CBD, possibly in public places without people knowing. Teenagers also soon began using vaporizers for both nicotine and marijuana.
Unfortunately, while many people have touted vaporizing as safer than the crude combustion of plant materials, some users have suffered severe injuries or even died as the result of contaminated cartridges or defective vaporizing units.
Contamination in vaporizing liquid has led to multiple deaths
In late 2019, vaping made the national news amid a rash of hospitalizations and deaths of otherwise healthy people who had developed acute respiratory symptoms after the use of vaporizing systems. Analysis of both damaged lung tissue and vaporizing cartridges soon linked vitamin E acetate to many of these illnesses.
Defective devices can catch fire or even explode
If potential contamination in the liquid someone consumes wasn’t frightening enough, there have also been reports of vaporizing units that caught fire, turned on spontaneously or even exploded. The closer someone is at the time of such a dramatic malfunction, the more likely it is for them to suffer severe or even fatal injuries.
Anyone who has been hurt as a consequence of vaping may be able to bring a claim against either the manufacturer of the product that hurt them or the retail facility that sold the device or the cartridge. An experienced attorney can provide guidance.