Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What if the medical condition improves before the hearing?”
As the national outbreak of severe lung injuries and deaths caused by e-cigarette use and vaping keeps American vapers concerned for their health, North Carolina has seen an increase in cases of lung injury linked to vaping in recent weeks.
According to The Coastland Times, the number of North Carolina residents diagnosed with severe lung injury due to vaping or e-cigarette use has risen to 61. The ages of the victims range from 13 to 72.
Nationwide, there have been at least 1,888 cases of lung injury related to vaping or e-cigarette use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of October 29, 2019.
A severe lung injury can result in unbearable medical expenses and lost wages, which is why injured victims are encouraged to file personal injury claims against vape manufacturers and other parties that sold or distributed the injury-causing product.
Consult a Charlotte personal injury attorney at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, to determine whether you have a valid claim against the e-cigarette or vaping manufacturer or other parties.
The Outbreak of Vaping-Related Lung Injury in North Carolina
Young adults and teenagers account for the vast majority of victims in lung injury cases associated with vaping and e-cigarette use. Nearly 80% of all victims are under 35 years of age, of which 40% are in the 18-24 age group, while 14% are younger than 18.
In most cases, the injured vapers report a history of using vaping products that contained THC, the primary psychoactive component in marijuana. Statistics by the CDC show that 80% of victims reported vaping THC, while 50% used products with THC and nicotine.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, was used in about 30% of lung injury cases. While the exact product that caused severe lung injury has yet to be determined, health advocacy organizations have urged vapers to stop vaping products that contain THC, aka tetrahydrocannabinol. Officials have also advised against modifying vaping products or adding any foreign substances.
According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, e-cigarette use has skyrocketed by nearly 900% since 2011 among high school students.
Can You Get Compensated for Your Vaping-Induced Injury?
Vaping can cause irreversible damage to the lungs, which is why an injured individual may end up facing a lifetime of medical expenses. A lung injury caused by vaping can diminish a vaper’s quality of life and decrease his or her earning potential.
Is there a way to get compensated for all these and many other damages caused by vaping-related injuries? To recover damages for your vaping-induced lung injury, you will have to establish these four elements of a personal injury claim.
With a Charlotte personal injury attorney by your side, you may be able to get compensated for the damages and losses that you have endured due to vaping or e-cigarette use. If you are a vaper and were diagnosed with a lung injury, take the following steps to document your injury and protect your legal rights:
- Collect medical records of your injury
- Take notes of your vaping use patterns and what products you have used
- Document how many days you have missed from work due to the injury
- Speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer in Charlotte or elsewhere in North Carolina
Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC, to schedule a free consultation about your potential product liability case stemming from vaping or e-cigarette use. Call us at 704-370-2828 or fill out our contact form. Now taking cases throughout North Carolina with offices in Uptown Charlotte, Mooresville and our new location in Monroe.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html
Image Credit:
https://www.freeimages.com/photo/enver-s-smoking-1440307
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