JUUL Vape Pen Lawsuits
JUUL vaping devices are the most popular form of electronic cigarette on the market in the United States today. While traditional cigarettes are primarily used by the older generation, JUUL products tend to be more prevalent among young adults.
Indeed, JUUL has been accused of deliberately targeting minors and young people with their advertising.
Why Are People Filing JUUL E-Cigarette Lawsuits?
There are many reasons why plaintiffs, law firms, and governmental agencies are choosing to file lawsuits against JUUL. Lawsuits against the company typically fall into one of the following two categories:
Targeting Young Adults
When JUUL first began marketing its products in 2016 and 2017, its advertisements portrayed young people using its pods. The company also used candy-like flavors such as mint and crème. This caused many to believe that the company was targeting its vaping products at minors and young adults. Put simply, this category of lawsuit alleges that JUUL is intentionally trying to put its product into the hands of kids.
Claims of Being Safer Than Traditional Cigarettes
Despite the efforts of big tobacco, everyone is aware of the harm caused by traditional cigarettes. Indeed, traditional options on the cigarette market can be extremely harmful to one’s health. Through its marketing campaigns, JUUL Labs has claimed that its products are a safer nicotine delivery system than cigarettes.
As more and more medical evidence begins to show that their safety claims are false, many people are choosing to file suit against the company.
Juul Vape Pen Lawsuit News – December 2019 Update
Juul Accused of Targeting Kids with Ads
Juul has been adamant that the company never marketed directly to teenagers. However, a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General of Massachusetts says otherwise. The lawsuit, which is based on evidence gathered during a lengthy investigation into Juul’s marketing practices, proposes that Juul purchased and ran advertisements on websites that are primarily visited by children and teenagers, including Nickelodeon, the Cartoon Network, and Seventeen magazine. Several educational websites were also targeted by Juul. The lawsuit accuses Juul of intentionally rejecting an ad campaign geared towards adults in favor of marketing that would appeal to a younger crowd.
Juul Bought Ads Appearing on Cartoon Network and Other Youth Sites, Suit Claims [New York Times]
Juul MDL Underway in California
More than 300 Juul vape pen injury lawsuits have been consolidated into multi-district litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of California. A case management conference is scheduled for April 13, 2020. That conference, however, may be affected by the Coronavirus epidemic.
In re: Juul Labs, Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices & Products Liability Litigation [United States District Court Northern District of California]
States, Cities, Schools Among Those Suing Juul
Lawsuits against Juul are mounting. As 2019 comes to a close, the company is reportedly facing more than 200 class action, multidistrict litigation, and personal injury lawsuits across the country. Plaintiffs include states (New York, California, North Carolina, and Illinois); Washington D.C.; counties and school boards (including those in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois); as well as individual plaintiffs who have been injured or had a loved one die after using Juul’s products. The number of plaintiffs is expected to grow substantially over the next year.
Governments Are Suing JUUL And It’s Starting To Feel More Like The Opioid And Big Tobacco Fights [CPR News]
Teens Vaping More Thanks to Juul Campaign
Studies show that teenagers in the United States aren’t drinking or smoking cigarettes as much as they used to. The number of teens experimenting with illegal drugs is also on the decline. However, that seems to be due to the fact that vaping is more popular than ever. One year ago, less than 8 percent of high school seniors vaped. Today, almost one out of every five percent of 12th graders surveyed admits to having vaped marijuana within the past month. Many believe this is a direct consequence of Juul’s aggressive marketing tactics, which were aimed at young people.
Teen Marijuana Vaping Soars, Displacing Other Habits [New York Times]
Former Juul Executive Claims Company Knowingly Sold Defective Vape Pens
In October, a former Juul executive filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming that it sold about one million mint-flavored vape pods to consumers, despite having knowledge that they were tainted or defective in some way. In the lawsuit, several higher-ups at Juul are accused of shrugging off product safety concerns because the target consumers would be too drunk or high to notice any problems. The allegations will likely be investigated as part of the growing number of Juul vape pen lawsuits that are being filed by consumers and government bodies across the nation.
A former Juul executive filed a lawsuit alleging that the company shipped 1 million tainted pods to customers and retailers [Business Insider]
JUUL Vape Pen Settlements
The vast majority of JUUL lawsuits are still making their way through the court systems. As such, it is tough to find a trend or baseline which would indicate how much your JUUL lawsuit may be worth. However, if you have become addicted to nicotine through the use of JUUL products, you may be eligible to seek compensation for the following costs:
- Medical expenses
- Addiction treatment
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages
The best way to get a full understanding of the strength of your case is by speaking to one of the experienced attorneys here at Rosen Injury Lawyers. They will be able to let you know if you should file suit, how much you may be eligible to claim, and approximately how long the process will take.
Litigation Updates
If you are considering filing a JUUL lawsuit, you may be interested to know about some of the most recent updates and information. Let’s take a look:
August 2019: The state of Illinois filed a lawsuit against JUUL Labsalleging that the company used their social media presence to influence teenagers to post selfies with their JUUL device. Lake County state’s attorney Michael Nerheim stated that “Like dope dealers on a street corner, Juul intentionally created addicted teen customers, to get them to continuously come back for life.”
June 2019: The United States Congress found that JUUL used youth prevention programs to introduce young people to their products. The House Subcommittee investigation found that on one occasion, a JUUL representative told a group of gathered students that traditional cigarettes were harmful but JUUL e-cigarettes were “totally safe.”
May 2019: A federal judge ordered the fast-tracking of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety review into vaping products. The decision was made as part of an ongoing lawsuit between the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
November 2018: JUUL stopped selling fruity flavors in stores and began deleting their social media accounts. These moves were carried out as a means to make it more difficult for minors to become aware of JUUL’s products or access them for personal use. Mint, menthol, and tobacco flavors remained on sale in stores.
Studies Show JUUL E-Cigarettes Are Addictive
In recent years, multiple medical studies have shown that JUUL vaping products are addictive and in widespread use by young people. When researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine spoke with a group of 12th-grade students, they found that almost 16% of them used JUUL products – with another 30% using other e-cigarette devices.
The study indicated that students who use JUUL and other e-cigarette products often do not even realize that they are addicted. Lead researcher, Karma McKlkelvey, Ph.D. noted that, “We ask, ‘Do you feel addicted?’ And they say no, but a series of questions on a validated scale for assessing loss of autonomy over nicotine show that they’re dependent.”
The addictiveness of JUUL products is generally driven by the high levels of liquid nicotine contained in each pod and the fact that they are typically used by teenagers and young adults.
The Office of the Surgeon General of the United States explains that “addiction is a form of learning, adolescents can get addicted more easily than adults. The nicotine in e-cigarettes and other tobacco products can also prime the adolescent brain for addiction to other drugs such as cocaine.”
Health Risks Associated with JUUL Vape Pens
Contrary to JUUL’s claims that their products are “totally safe,” there are several different ways your health can be negatively impacted by their devices.
Some of the most common injuries and health issues associated with JUUL vaping products include:
Nicotine Poisoning
The FDA has received complaints from JUUL users who have developed nicotine poisoning after vaping. Common symptoms of this serious illness include:
- Joint pain
- Seizures
- High blood pressure
- Strokes
- Heart problems
- Blood clots
- Embolisms
- Convulsions
If you are a JUUL pod user and notice yourself developing any of these issues, you should get yourself to a doctor as quickly as possible.
Cancer
Many people believe that JUUL pods and e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes because they do not contain the same cancer-causing chemicals. Unfortunately, a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics by a team of researchers from the University of California – San Francisco in April of 2018 found that the chemicals which are used to add flavoring to e-cigarettes can lead to cancer.
Popcorn Lung
Chemicals such as formaldehyde, toluene, and diacetyl are all commonly used in vape juice. The prolonged use of these dangerous chemicals can lead to a serious and irreversible disease known as popcorn lung. If you develop this illness, you are likely to suffer from coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath for the rest of your life.
Can I File a JUUL Vape Pen Lawsuit?
If you have been negatively impacted by the use of JUUL vaping devices, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the company.
Generally speaking, your lawsuit is likely to fall into one of the following three categories:
Addiction
As evidenced by multiple studies, JUUL vaping products can be highly addictive. Filing a lawsuit on the basis of addiction can go a long way toward helping you pay for your addiction treatment as well as any ongoing pain and suffering that you may endure.
Serious Illness
If your use of JUUL vaping devices has led to you developing a serious illness such as popcorn lung, nicotine poisoning, or cancer, you should strongly consider filing suit against the company. The financial compensation you receive can be a huge help when it comes to paying your medical bills and other costs.
False Advertising
If you made the decision to start using JUUL products because it was advertised to you as being safer than traditional cigarettes, you can file a lawsuit. The same is true if you began using JUUL pods when you were a young adult, having been deliberately targeted by the company.
The best way to know if you should file a JUUL vape pen lawsuit is to speak with a skilled attorney. They will be able to give you all of the information you need to make the right decision for you and your future.
Contact Rosen Injury Lawyers Today for Your Free JUUL Vape Pen Lawsuit Consultation
The team of experienced attorneys at Rosen Injury Lawyers are experts in mass tort litigation and class action lawsuits, and we would love to help you with your JUUL lawsuit. Whether you were deceived by their advertising or have become ill as a result of using their product, we can fight to get you the compensation that you deserve.
To request a free consultation with one of our skilled lawyers, just give us a call at (646) 494-3981 or contact us online.