California Woman Awarded $1.9M After Suffering Second-Degree Burns In E-Cigarette Explosion

A jury at a California court awarded $1.9 million Wednesday to a woman, who suffered second-degree burns after an electronic cigarette exploded in 2013, in a product liability suit, the Associated Press reported. Jennifer Ries said she had to be taken to an urgent care facility and a burn clinic after the incident.

According to Ries, the incident occurred in March 2013 when she was heading to the airport with her husband Xavier Ries, AP reported. The e-cigarette by VapCigs, which distributes the Chinese-made e-cigarette along with its charger, exploded, causing severe burns. The couple also missed their flight to Brazil, where they planned to help start a community center for children in Rio de Janeiro’s slums.

The jury at Riverside Superior Court announced their verdict in the lawsuit against VapCigs after six days of trial, according to AP. Following the incident, Ries stopped the use of e-cigarettes, Joe Marchelewski, a spokesman for her attorney's firm, said.

"If you're going to place a product in the marketplace, you have to make sure it's safe for the consumer," Ries’ attorney Gregory Bentley reportedly said. "If you don't, you're at your own peril."

This is not the first case of an e-cigarette explosion. In September, a 23-year-old Florida man burned his cornea and hand, and fractured his neck and a finger after an e-cigarette exploded.