By George Bao July 20, 2016
LOS ANGELES – E-cigarette manufacturers in China have been sued in California for the injuries caused by the e-cigarette’s lithium-ion batteries that exploded in the pockets.
Court documents showed that two California men, Thomas Vickrey and Juan Carlos Ceja said in separate lawsuits that the manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers of the electronic cigarettes they were sold should be held liable for the severe burns they received after the devices’ lithium-ion batteries exploded in their pockets.
Thomas Vickrey and Juan Carlos Ceja argued that the e-cigarette companies should have warned them that e-cigarettes can explode because the lithium-ion battery that powers them is close to the e-cigarette’s heating component.
Vickrey and Ceja are suing for damages to compensate for medical costs associated with the burns and for punitive damages because of the alleged malicious conduct of the e-cigarette makers, retailers and wholesalers.
Daniel Deng, an attorney who has handled many liability cases in the past 19 years, said United States law has strict requirements for product liability.
Not only manufacturers, but importers, wholesalers and distributors of the distribution chain are responsible for their own safety, Deng explained.
Thus, he added, COSTCO and WALMART will require manufacturers and importers to buy product liability insurance for their products and will keep the products on the shelves. Once a problem is found, they will request a recall.
Deng reminded manufacturers, importers and retailers in the electronic cigarette industry to purchase adequate product liability insurance.
Deng also advised that if consumers got injured while using these electronic cigarette products, they can demand compensation from manufacturers, importers and retailers for medical expenses, loss of qualified life and even request compensation for mental sufferings.
Statistics show that the e-cigarette sales in the United States have reached $ 2.5 billion annually, and over 90% of the e-cigarettes are manufactured in China.
To read the story in Apple News app, please go to:
https://apple.news/TzL9hL9SrRLKEi1c5ExMyXA