A 24-year-old Fort Worth electrician is yet another victim of an exploding vape pen or e-cigarette, and in this case it was fatal. Sitting in a parked car on Jan. 27, the young man died after a piece of the exploding pen severed his carotid artery. According to a study published by Tobacco Control, more than 2,000 vape pen explosions and burn injuries occurred in the U.S. between 2015-17.

“If these dangerous explosions and fires are shown to be the result of an inherent design defect that could have been avoided, the companies that designed these products may have significant legal exposure,” says attorney Joel Simon, who focuses on personal injury litigation at Houston-based Fernelius Simon Mace Robertson Perdue, PLLC.

“Moreover, if these companies knew that the interaction of the vape pen’s body and battery posed a significant safety risk, but they did nothing, they could face allegations of gross neglect, which could lead to punitive damages.”

E-cigarettes rely on lithium-ion batteries to operate, but officials are advising users to be aware of the volatile nature of these batteries.

Fernelius Simon Mace Robertson Perdue handles lawsuits in a number of areas, including personal injury, insurance, energy and business disputes.

For more information, contact Jennie Bui-McCoy at 800-559-4534 or jennie@androvett.com.