Vaping is dangerous. Unfortunately, we only recently found out about these dangers that the industry knew about for years. It was like a flashback to the dangers of smoking and the industry insider’s knowledge of that danger as well. And, as readers of this blog know, we have spoken about the ongoing litany of lawsuits against Juul Labs, Inc., over their vaping products and their impact on the United States youth. Recently, the e-cigarette maker agreed to pay over $1 billion to resolve about 10,000 of these lawsuits.
Does not resolve all cases
The case is not finalized yet, and neither is the amount. It will only be for those cases currently before United States, District Judge, William Orrick, in San Francisco, California. Judge Orrick must approve the deal, and the parties have still not determined who is eligible to participate. Eligible plaintiffs will receive at least $1,000 before attorneys’ fees, costs and any liens.
Effects on schools
To drive the point home on how dangerous Juul was for school children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research noted that nearly 20% of high school students in San Francisco alone vaped in 2019, which was up from just 7% in 2017. Presumably, the numbers were likely higher here. And, the CDC said that there were at least 60 deaths and nearly 3,000 hospitalizations tied to vaping.
Ongoing liability
For those in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and throughout Louisiana, this does not mean that this lawsuit does or does not affect you, it means that you need to press your rights now. Juul still faces waves of lawsuits locally and nationally, and this settlement is just for one wave of cases in California.