Juul Lawsuits

If your child/young adult has become addicted to nicotine or suffered a physical injury from using JUUL e-cigarettes, contact our team of trusted legal counselors at Harding Mazzotti, LLP for a free no-obligation consultation.

About JUUL:

Juul Labs, Inc. (Juul) was founded in 2015, with, according to their website, the mission to: “improve the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers by eliminating cigarettes.” Juul is a San Francisco-based company known for their e-cigarette products. Today, Juul is valued at $38 billion and controls nearly 70 percent of the U.S. vaping market. [1]

Unlike a traditional cigarette, e-cigarettes, or vaping devices, are electronic devices that heat a liquid containing a mix of nicotine, flavoring and other chemicals, which creates a vapor, or aerosol, for inhalation. [2]

Are JUUL E-Cigarettes Addictive?

The FDA is currently investigating design manipulation of its vaping devices. According to the FDA release found here, “[t]he FDA is also asking JUUL to explain why it uses nicotine salts, which was described at the Congressional hearing as masking the harshness of nicotine. The agency further asks JUUL why it uses a nicotine concentration of 5% in its products, which the agency is concerned could potentially increase their addictiveness.” [3] The highly addictive nature of nicotine is the reason e-cigarette companies like JUUL are able to create a compulsory habit of purchasing and consuming vaping products within their consumers. This drives continual revenue growth for JUUL and makes it very difficult for addicted consumers to quit the habit.

If you or your child have already become addicted to vaping there are many resources that can help you overcome. Visit the Truth Initiative Website or visit Become An Ex for help. 

Are JUUL E-Cigarettes Dangerous?

• Brain development: According to the CDC, nicotine exposure can cause addiction. Additionally, during adolescence, when the brain is still developing, nicotine can harm the part of the brain that controls attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
  • In addition to nicotine, the CDC also claims that e-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances including:
    • Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
    • Diacetyl, a chemical linked to lung disease found in flavoring
    • Volatile organic compounds
    • Chemicals linked to cancer
    • Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead [4]
• Seizures: The FDA began notifying the public of potential safety issues related to reported seizures following e-cigarette use. Notably, seizures and convulsions can occur as a result of nicotine poisoning. [5]
• Bronchiolitis obliterans: According to researchers at Harvard, diacetyl, a substance that can cause bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious irreversible lung disease known as “popcorn lung,” was found in 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands. [6]

JUUL Marketing to Children and Teens

Stanford University researchers concluded that Juul’s advertising in its first 6 months on the market was “patently youth-oriented,” according to their abstract found here. [7]

Other claims of deceptive marketing include:

• Advertising their products with claims that its nicotine pods are a safer alternative to cigarettes: On September 9th, 2019, the FDA issued a warning letter from Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, which included: “…companies must demonstrate with scientific evidence that their specific product does in fact pose less risk or is less harmful. JUUL has ignored the law, and very concerningly, has made some of these statements in schools to our nation’s youth.” [8]
• Advertising in Schools: The New York Times claims Juul paid a charter school organization in Baltimore $134,000 to set up a five-week summer camp to teach children healthy lifestyles. Furthermore, it was reported that a Juul representative visited the Dwight School in New York City, met with students without a teacher present, and stated that the company’s e-cigarettes were “totally safe.” [9]
• Use of Bright colored packaging: Some Juul devices display bright colors, mascots, artwork, photos of animals, and cartoons. Additionally, Juul pod flavors include Fruit Loops, Strawberry Milk, Pumpkin Donut, Pancake Syrup, Bubble Gum and hundreds of other flavors. Critics argue that the use of these colors and flavors is perhaps suggestive that adults are not the target of their marketing efforts.

Overall, there are concerns from the FDA that Juul’s marketing efforts are contributing to the current national teen vaping epidemic and health crisis, from which Juul is profiting. According to a National Youth Tobacco study, more than 3.6 million middle and high school students currently use e-cigarettes [10], erasing decades of progress battling teenage smoking.

JUUL VS Cigarettes

Vaping, or JUULing, was originally marketed by the manufacturer as a safe alternative to cigarette smoking however this was found to be completely inaccurate. There are a few main differences between JUUL E-Cigarettes and traditional combustion cigarettes.

• A JUUL resembles a USB drive and is easily concealable and usable in a public space versus traditional cigarettes. 
• The liquid in JUUL pods contain nicotine salt and are a less noticeable “smooth” consumption versus the irritated feeling traditional cigarette nicotine leaves in your chest and lungs.[11] 
• JUUL’s contain large amounts of concentrated nicotine. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians one cartridge of e-cigarettes has roughly the equivalent amount of nicotine to a whole pack of cigarettes.  

Do You Have A Case Against JUUL?

Harding Mazzotti, LLP is currently accepting cases on behalf of those who have used, or are currently using, Juul e-cigarette products and have experienced:

• nicotine poisoning
• addiction to nicotine related to use of JUUL and has sought medical treatment
• seizures
• strokes
• heart attacks (or other heart problems)
• cardiovascular disease
• lung/respiratory problems
• mental health/behavior problems
• suicide or suicidal thoughts/attempts
• complications during pregnancy
• birth defects

If you or a loved one have used JUUL vaping products and have become addicted to nicotine or have fallen to one of the above ailments contact our trusted legal counselors at Harding Mazzotti, LLP for a free no-obligation consultation and see if you are entitled to compensation.

Click, chat, or call 1(800) 529-1010 24/7 for a free case evaluation. Our experts can help you determine the best course of action to receive the compensation you deserve.