Warning
HORROR BURNS
Vape causes brutal third-degree burns to man after e-cig explodes in his pocket
A MAN has suffered brutal third-degree burns on his leg after his vape pen exploded in his trouser pocket.
The horrific basketball-size wound has led Nader Harb to take legal action against the company his lawyers say are responsible for the damage.
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The man, from Cleveland, Ohio, was badly burned after the battery for his vape device exploded in his pocket, reported.
Nader had recently switched from smoking cigarettes to using a vape pen, said his attorney Tom Merriman.
Merriman added that the blast happened while Nader was at work in June 2018.
'BURST INTO FLAMES'
Nader was setting up for the day at the butcher shop he works at when the extra lithium-ion LGHG2 battery in his right pocket burst into flames in the side pocket of his combat trousers.
He told : "The pain, I never felt before. I mean, I got cut by machines, I got run over by a car, I've never seen pain like this."
The lawyer told the news channel: “He wasn’t smoking at the time, he was working, and it literally just exploded in his pants.
“There was this flash and then he was on fire.”
The attorney said his client was able to douse the flames and get himself treated at MetroHealth burn unit in Cleveland.
He had suffered second and third degree burns, and the burn on his thigh was described as “the size of a volleyball.”
There was this flash and then he was on fire
Tom Merriman, attorney
And the lawyer added: “Like a lot of people, he was trying to be healthier by not smoking tobacco and thinking this is safer, and winds up getting pretty seriously burned.”
Merriman, of Landskroner Grieco Merriman, said Nader's situation was unique because the battery exploded while it was sitting in his pocket, rather than while being used like in other previously unfortunate instances.
What is vaping and is it harmful?
Vaping is the process of smoking e-cigarettes, allowing a person to inhale nicotine without other harmful substances in tobacco.
The term is used as e-cigarettes do not produce smoke - instead releasing a vapour.
The vapour is produced from a material such as an e-liquid.
Millions of Brits now get their nicotine hit via e-cigarettes, and they are continuing to grow in popularity.
A study in August 2018 has suggested vaping is more harmful than first thought.
Researchers found e-cigs boost the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body.
And the vapour kills protective cells in the lung that keep the air spaces clear of harmful bugs.
said vaping poses only a small fraction of the risks of smoking and switching completely from smoking to vaping conveys substantial health benefits.
And they said the evidence does not support the concern that e-cigarettes are a route into smoking among young people.
They claim e-cigs are 95 per cent safer than traditional cigarettes.
And they suggest smokers should consider switching to vaping in a bid to help them quit.
Nader's lawyer said is now suing battery maker LG Chem, and retailer, Cleveland Vape, under the Ohio Product Liability Law.
Merriman pointed out to the lack of regulation in the market.
He said: “It just raises a lot of questions about these batteries and how they’re manufactured, how they’re designed.
“We believe that this battery is a legitimate, genuine LG Chem-manufactured battery, but there’s a lot of knock-offs that are coming in from China and other third-world countries, and there’s no regulation at all.”
STRING OF HORRIFIC CASES
Last month, a teenager suffered horror injuries after his e-cigarette exploded in his mouth - and blew out his teeth.
The 17-year-old had to travel 250 miles with a bloody mouth, broken teeth and a hole in his jaw to get the nearest hospital after the freak accident.
Doctors rushed the boy into surgery to reconstruct and repair the shattered bone, according to a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
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The unnamed boy from Nevada, Utah, had extensive injuries to his mouth, several missing teeth and a broken lower jaw when he got to A&E two hours after the explosion.
Earlier this year, another vaper died after using an e-cigarette for the first time which then exploded and cut an artery in his neck.
William Eric Brown, 24, had trying out the vaporizer pen which is said to be a safer alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes.
The young electrician from Fort Worth, Texas, was taking his first draws from the e-cigarette he had just bought which blew up his face while he was sitting in his car.
Shrapnel then penetrated his head and neck, puncturing his left carotid artery through which blood is pumped from the heart to the brain.
He died several days after the incident after doctors had struggled to remove a three-inch piece of jagged metal, an inquest found.
Sun Online has approached LG Chem and Cleveland Vape for comment.
Why do vape batteries explode?
Most vape pens are powered by a lithium-ion battery, and that’s what can trigger the fires and explosions that can occur.
When you vape, a battery powers the heating element that then turns the chemical solution in the canister into a vapour.
Lithium-ion batteries cause problems when they’re overheated from direct sunlight, short circuits, or overcharging.
Vape pens have a USB port that appears to be compatible with any USB cable and charger.
People often assume that any charger will do, as long as it fits and the device responds, but that’s not the case, reproted .
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US man, 24, killed after e-cigarette explodes in his face and severs artery in his neck while using device for first first time
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