Stroke victim files California lawsuit against Juul over e-cigarette marketing to teens
A Connecticut man who suffered a massive stroke after becoming addicted to Juul e-cigarettes has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the vaping device. Maxwell Berger filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs in California over allegations that the company hid the dangers of Juul from consumers, and illegally marketed the product to consumers under the age of 26.
Unlike traditional cigarettes, Juul devices use a nicotine liquid that is vaporized by a USB-shaped device in order to deliver a nicotine fix to users. Although Juul was not the first e-cigarette company on the market, over the last few years, the brand has become so popular that many users simply refer to vaping with the device as “juuling”. The company now controls an estimated 72% of the US e-cigarette market, with billions of dollars in annual revenue.
Although e-cigarettes have been marketed as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes, studies have begun to expose the potential dangers of these devices. According to a recent study based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), consumers who use e-cigarettes such as Juul are 71% more likely to suffer a stroke than non-users.
Lawsuit alleges that Juul caused massive stroke
According to his lawsuit, Berger began using Juul in 2015, when he was a senior in high school. He alleges that by the time he started using the device, it was already extremely popular among his high school friends. After two years, Berger says that he was using his Juul so frequently that he was using two nicotine cartridges every day. He says that had he known about the addictive and dangerous qualities of Juul, he would have never started using the device.
In July 2017, Berger suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke, causing him to spend more than 100 days in the hospital and undergo three brain surgeries. As a result of the stroke, the lawsuit alleges that Berger now suffers from permanent injuries, including paralysis on the left side of his body, speech impairments, and a 50% loss of vision in both eyes.
Berger filed a lawsuit against Juul in San Francisco accusing the company of wrongful conduct that resulted in his stroke and other severe injuries. Although the company maintains that it does not market the vaping device to young consumers, Berger’s lawsuit against Juul accuses the company of specifically targeting people under the age of 26, including teenagers like himself.
Berger’s lawsuit is the first personal injury claim filed against Juul involving injuries of this severity. However, the company is also facing at least seven other lawsuits filed in Alabama, California, Florida, and New York on behalf of consumers who were injured after using the vaping device.
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If you or a loved one used Juul e-cigarettes and suffered a stroke, seizures, or lung problems, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for these injuries. The first step in filing a legal claim is to speak with a product liability attorney about your case so you can find out more about the first steps in filing a claim.
The lawyers at Hissey, Mulderig & Friend have represented thousands of clients across the U.S. who have been harmed by dangerous consumer products, defective drugs, and unsafe medical devices. Our firm was founded with the goal of providing our clients with exceptional legal representation to ensure that their legal rights are fully protected.
For more information about filing a Juul lawsuit and to find out if you qualify to file a claim, contact the lawyers at Hissey, Mulderig & Friend for a free legal consultation. You can reach us by calling toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by following this link to our free online case evaluation form.