With the harsh winter weather here in Indianapolis, it’s likely that many of you are reaching for your warming blankets when at home or even sitting in the office. While these heating pads and warming blankets are great for keeping us warm, they can also be extremely dangerous when they are defective or malfunction while in use.

Recently, there are have been many product liability and defective product cases brought out against manufacturers of warming blankets—proving that it is not only possible to be injured by a warming blanket, but it’s possible to be injured so badly that a lawsuit is needed to help pay for medical bills.

The most common type of injury involving warming blankets is severe burns. Often these burns are caused by:

• • Leaving the warming blanket at a high setting for too long
  • A defective product where the blanket heats up to a dangerous temperature
  • Many blankets have a shut off timer when the blanket gets too hot—if this is damaged or defective it can lead to severe burns
  • Falling asleep with the blanket at a dangerous temperature
  • Faulty fabrics that do not facilitate the heat on skin correctly
  • A faulty blanket causing a fire or fire hazard when turned on

What Can I Do if I’m Injured by a Warming Blanket?

If you or a loved one was injured, or even died, after using a warming blanket, you should hire a product liability attorney as soon as possible to start your case. There are two main reasons that a warming blanket would lead to a lawsuit:

1.    Labeling Defect: This occurs when a manufacturer fails to label their product correctly and in turn, leads to injury to the consumer. With warming and electric blankets, this could mean failure to inform consumers of risks and dangers associated with the blankets or failure to let customers know that the blanket should not be left at a high setting for long periods of time.

2.    Product Defect: This occurs when there is a defect in the making of the actual product. This could mean any aspect of the blanket not working properly, whether it is the fabrics used, the thermometer settings or the heating element itself. If you suffer an injury because of these defects, you should hold the manufacturer liable for their negligence.

If either of these situations happened to you, an attorney can help you enter into a product liability case, where you can seek compensation for any pain and suffering you experienced due to the defective product. At Stewart & Stewart, we understand how frustrating a case like this can be—you never expect to be hurt or burned by a product only meant to keep you comfortable during colder months. Our team of experienced attorneys is ready to help you hold the negligent manufacturer responsible and get the compensation you deserve after an injury, burn or death. For more information, contact us today at 1-800-33-33-LAW or visit our website for more information.

The use of e-cigarettes and vaporizes is widespread throughout the country. In fact, wherever you look, it can be hard not to find someone puffing from a device that releases nicotine in the form of vapor. With their huge popularity, it may be hard to fathom that e-cigs were only first introduced for sale in the United States in 2007—just a little over a decade for their popularity to increase throughout every state.

Due to their quick increase in popularity, the FDA was unable to keep up with demand and for a while, e-cigs were released and sold without any guidelines or regulations attached to them. Because of this, many people are suffering from intense injuries and even death after using e-cigs and vapes that had faulty batteries and bad equipment. As more and more people were injured or dying from the use of e-cigs, states began to realize the need for more regulation.

Just a few years ago, a decade after the e-cigs were released, states began enacting laws that banned or limited the use of e-cigs in certain places. Across the world, the regulation on e-cigs vary. Some countries and states within the U.S. have banned devices entirely, while others have limited them or introduced no regulations at all. In 2016, we saw the first widespread regulation when the use of e-cigs were banned on airplanes in the United States. That same year, the FDA mandated that e-cigs be regulated the same as all other Tabaco products.

Still, though, it is up to each state to determine their laws regarding vaping and e-cigarettes. Here in Indiana, Indianapolis has banned all enclosed workplaces from using e-cigarettes. This includes bars and restaurants, so yes, it is legal for a restaurant to tell you to leave if you are using one of these devices or to ban them from use entirely while in their place of business. Similarly, in Greenwood, there has been a ban on e-cigs in all enclosed workplaces, but this does not include bars and restaurants, so you can smoke your device if in that area.

Other areas of Indiana do not have regulations set in terms of smoking e-cigs, but they do regulate the way they are marketed and sold. Throughout the state, the sale of any type of e-cig is illegal to anyone under 18 and a company must have a license and permit before selling any type of e-cigarette. As of now, there is no special tax on e-cigs in Indiana.

But, just because there are little to no regulations in the state for e-cigs does not mean that those injured by the devices do not have grounds to file a lawsuit against the manufactures who make them. E-cigs pose a great risk of injury due to devices often overheating and exploding in hands, pockets and mouths. E-cig users have reported second and third-degree burns, loss of limbs and even death after using an e-cigarette or vape.

If you have been injured or a loved one has died because of an e-cigarette, you deserve to be compensated. At Stewart & Stewart, we know what it takes to get our clients the money they deserve after using a defective or unsafe product, and we will work hard to get that for you. For more information, give us a call at 1-800-33-33-LAW or visit our website today.

E-cigarettes have only been around a short time compared to regular cigarettes, but their popularity has grown rapidly. As vaping becomes a regular occurrence in all areas, including places where smoking is banned, there has been an increase in the number of injuries associated with e-cigarettes as well.

An e-cigarette encompasses a variety of different devices, from vaporizers to mods. In short, any device that delivers nicotine is technically an e-cigarette, but most will come in the form of a battery-powered handheld that delivers nicotine through a vapor. Because of the vapor, many e-cigarette users believe that they are safer than the average cigarette. Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence supporting this claim. What we do know, though, is that these e-cigarettes may not pose a greater risk to our organs, but they do pose a greater risk for our well-being.

As more people have latched on to e-cigarette use, there have been more instances of injury, from devices blowing up in people’s hands and mouths and causing serious harm or even death.

Safety Regulations

As of right now, there are no federal standards or laws in place for e-cigarettes. Some states have recently begun to place bans on where you can smoke, but overall, there is no regulation as to how an e-cig or vape is made. Because of this, many companies have resorted to using cheap batteries that explode when they get too hot—something that should be of high concern when used for something like a vape pen.

Many e-cigarette brands have also been targeting teens and younger generations, which has caused a recent push for the FDA to regulate the ads and marketing tactics associated with e-cigs.

Overall, though, each time you use an e-cig, you are putting yourself at risk. Without any real guidelines in place, many people could be using faulty pens, vapes or e-cig devices without knowing and if their device should explode or malfunction, the results can be life-threatening.

Accidents Associated with E-Cigs

A large majority of the accidents associated with the use of e-cigs are explosion and fire related. Many claimants have reported their devices spontaneously blowing up while in their purse, pocket, or worse, their mouths. The injuries that occur can range from second and third-degree burns, chemical burns, and temporary vision loss to smoke inhalation, loss of fingers or limbs and even death.

Many victims of e-cig explosions end up in the hospital and require intense surgeries such as skin grafts, reconstructive work, and more. A number of unfortunate e-cig accidents have even left people in medically-induced comas.

What to Do If Injured by an E-Cig

If you do find yourself injured by your e-cigarette or vaporizer, be sure to get medical help right away. Once your injuries are tended to, your next step is to contact an attorney. Without set guidelines in place, filing a lawsuit against an e-cig or vape brand can be difficult and it takes an experienced e-cig attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve.

There are many reasons someone may want to file a lawsuit against an e-cig or vaporizer company. Injuries can lead to large medical bills, time off work and even death. In addition to personal injuries, e-cigs can also damage property should they explode and lead to prolonged health issues from the chemicals inhaled. If you want to file a lawsuit against an e-cigarette or vaporize brand after an injury, contact Stewart & Stewart today to learn more about how we can help you file a claim and get the compensation you deserve. For more information, give us a call at 1-800-33-33-LAW or visit our website today.