Did you or your child use JUUL® and are now experiencing health problems? You may be entitled to monetary compensation.
E-cigarette Use by Teens Called an “Epidemic”
For the first time in recent history, Gen Z had the opportunity to be the first generation of people not addicted to nicotine. Then enter JUUL, a small size vaping device that looks like a flash drive and has delicious flavors. Though JUUL’s makers advertise it as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes, internal company documents reveal that the company deliberately investigated the best way to market to kids. The solution’s design creates and sustains nicotine addiction and uses a special chemical to increase nicotine absorption. Teens mistakenly believe that “juuling” is safe, and find its small size and ease of concealment an appealing form of rebellion.
JUUL VAPE DEVICES CASE
Many of us grew up hearing that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health. They cause 80% to 90% of lung cancer cases, raise your blood pressure and increase your chances for developing heart disease. For decades, cigarette companies have searched for an alternative to lower health risks while providing the same effect. Enter Juul, an e-cigarette company founded in 2015 that markets itself as an alternative to cigarettes.
HGD and Southern Med Law filed one of the first lawsuits in the country against the makers of Juul in 2018.
As of 2018, use of e-Cigarettes
has been on the rise
Appeals to Youths because it:
- Shaped like a USB drive, so can be used discreetly
- Addictive high nicotine content
- Variety of flavors
Effects on Adolescents/Early Adolescents
- Nicotine addiction
- Impair adolescent brain development
Middle School Students
11 – 14 years old
- 2018: 1 out of every 20 middle school ages students uses e-Cigarettes
- 2011: .06% (60,000) students
- 2018: 4.9% (570,000) students
- 2017-2018: 48% increase in student usage
High School Students
14 – 18 years old
- 2018: 1 out of every 5 high school ages students uses e-Cigarettes
- 2011: 1.5% (220,000) students
- 2018: 20.8% (3.05 million) students
- 2017-2018: 78% increase in student usage
For a free legal consultation, call (205) 326-3336
THE RISE IN
POPULARITY OF JUUL
Though e-cigarettes like JUUL are marketed as providing a healthier alternative for smokers, the company is the subject of multiple lawsuits charging it with negligence, fraud and other violations that have led to injuries and nicotine addiction suffered by teen and adult users.
The JUUL is a small vaping device that is wildly popular among teens and young adults. Its small size and appealing USB shape make it easy to conceal, and filled with a nicotine-infused solution that gets vaporized for inhalation. These solutions come in flavors like “Mango” and “StrawberryLemonade” that are appealing to children. They have been proven to be more addictive than cigarettes and potentially more dangerous.
Juul e-cigarettes face multiple lawsuits
The company has come under fire recently in the wake of three lawsuits alleging the devices have caused JUUL users to become addicted to nicotine. One of the Juul lawsuits was filed by the parents of a 15-year-old boy who they claim is addicted to the vaping device and the nicotine it provides. In addition, the Massachusetts Attorney General opened an investigation into Juul to determine if the company is targeting minors with their products.
Although Juul vaping devices are intended for adults 21 and older, they have become popular among teens, particularly high school students. In fact, the devices are so trendy many kids use the word as a verb, often referring to the act as “juuling.” There’s growing fear that vaping will become the next generation’s version of smoking, a concern supported by a 2017 CDC study which found high schoolers and middle schoolers use e-cigarettes more often than regular ones.
Georgia Joins Other States in Juul Lawsuit Despite Lobbying Efforts
A report published by the AP reveals that Juul Labs tried to directly influence attorneys general in Georgia and other states. The company worked with high-power political insiders to try to persuade the states to forgo legal action against their company.
The AP further reports that former attorneys general joined their effort. Former AGs from Massachusetts and Rhode Island lobbied on Juul’s behalf. The company organized a political action committee (PAC) which contributed to AGs’ campaigns. Both the politicians who received donations and Juul have denied the allegations that the money was part of an influence campaign.
Despite their political maneuvering, Georgia’s Attorney General, Chris Carr, has decided to join other states in their investigation of Juul Labs’ marketing to teens. Their decision brings the total to 39 states united in uncovering just how intentional Juul was in fostering its popularity with youth users.
How Do Class Action Lawsuits Work?
Juul Wants to Install Age Locks to Keep Its Products on Shelves, Wall Street Journal Reports
Major news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, have reported that Juul Labs Inc. hopes to avoid regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by presenting them with a plan to prevent underage access to their products.
The details of their strategy are still unclear, but it’s likely that the changes to their device would look similar to the locks they’ve already installed on Juul products sold in Canada and the United Kingdom. These vapes use a variety of technologies to try to limit its use to one person, including facial recognition and an associated app.
These changes are a bid to keep their product in consumers’ hands, despite Trump administration pushback against the vaping industry. They plan to submit them in May 2020. The proposed changes come at the same time as the company has been forced to lay off as many as 650 workers in order to cut $1 billion in expenses.
Questions About Juul Safety
Q: What Kinds of Injuries or Illness Do Juul Products Cause?
A: Over the last few years, evidence has become increasingly clear that vaping causes serious injuries to its users. Common Juul injuries include:
- Respiratory illness, including lung failure
- Asthma and difficulty breathing
- Pneumonia
- Cardiovascular damage and disease, including stroke
- COPD
- Heart disease, including heart attack
- Addiction
- Anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders
- Illness caused by nicotine
- Complications to pregnancy and fetal complications
Some of these can be minor, but many are serious enough to result in hospitalization or even death.
Q: What’s Popcorn Lung and Does Juul Use Cause It?
A: Most cases of “popcorn lung” have been connected to after-market Juul inserts not produced by the company. However, there is some evidence connecting the use of Juul, not just the unapproved products, to the condition. It is a lung disease, also known as bronchiolitis obliterans, caused by the chemical diacetyl, which is a chemical flavoring. It results in severely damaged lungs and difficulty breathing.
Q: How Can HGD Help Me?
A: We can investigate your case to understand how Juul caused your injury. We are building a class action law suit against the company, which will allow us to represent many customers injured by the company’s negligence at once. The more evidence we can gather that the corporation directly caused illness, injury, and even death through the marketing of their dangerous product, the better for the eventual successful conclusion of our case. We hope to win significant damages for our clients from Juul.
We are currently looking for
people who vape and have
experienced any of the following:
Addiction – with or without treatment.
Any person, and especially High School or College Students, who have been diagnosed with Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis or Pneumonia or an Eosinophilic Pneumonia that required medical treatment including hospitalization. This can progress to death.
COPD or Advanced Asthma after using JUUL products. A heart attack (myocardial infarction) after using JUUL products.
Referring attorneys, please call or email Bill Bross: 205-326-3336 or william@hgdlawfirm.com
HOW DO CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS WORK?
If you or a loved one have experienced any of the medical side effects after using JUUL products, please contact one of our attorneys at HGD. Even if you feel you are not ready to file a suit, consult one of our qualified lawyers as soon as possible so that you will know your options. We do not charge any fees upfront. In fact, we will only charge attorney’s fees if we obtain a financial settlement for you. If you don’t win, we won’t get paid a legal fee.