E-Cig Explosions Likely Linked To Lithium-Ion Batteries, E-Cigarette Explosion Lawsuit Cases Arise

LipsigLawyers.com reports on new information regarding potentially unstable lithium-ion batteries used in e-cigarettes. Data drawn from an article in Live Science indicates that reported explosions often occur in milliseconds, offering consumers little time to react. They note that when a battery module overheats, it can lead to a cascade or "domino effect" that produces compounding levels of heat until the battery itself explodes. Since 2002, the article notes, there have been 43 product recalls for the batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are ideal for use in electronic cigarettes because of their compact size and long lifespan. As an alternative to smoking, e-cigs have grown in popularity and are used by more than two million Americans, according to FEMA. The organization notes that there have been several dozen reported cases of explosions associated with electronic cigarettes. Some sources speculate that the number of actual incidents may be much higher due to underreporting.

Fires, blindness, burns, and psychological or emotional trauma can result from these explosions. As more individuals seek a healthier or more socially sanctioned alternative to smoking, the implications of potentially unstable batteries could be severe. A resident of Sherman, Texas reported that his e-cigarette exploded in his hand and was projected across the room. The incident resulted in manual burns and a decided disinclination to use it or similar products again.

FEMA analysts report, "Many incidents are not reported" to local firefighting services or the media. Should this be the case, it would seriously hamper any efforts to develop a safe and satisfactory solution to the problem of the unstable batteries. Another roadblock to such an answer comes from the FDA. Currently, they do not oversee the quality standards or distribution of e-cigarettes, in spite of reports of explosions in Oklahoma, New York, California, Utah, Arizona, Texas and many more states across the country. However, using the recent expansion of oversight to all tobacco products, the government regulatory agency is seeking to extend their purview to tobacco alternatives. This would effectively allow them to impose safety measures regarding the potentially unstable batteries in e-cigarettes.

To request additional information on electronic cigarette explosions, or to ask questions, please contact Attorney Marc Freund of Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman by calling 877-711-9545.