Products Liability
Ries v. VapCigs, et al. Greg Bentley obtained a $1.9M jury verdict in Riverside Superior Court in the first e-cigarette explosion lawsuit in the United States. Plaintiff and her husband were traveling to the airport for an international trip when she decided to charge her e-cigarette battery. After plugging the device into the car’s charger, liquid dripped from the battery and she heard a loud bang. Flames and chemicals shot out, catching her dress and fire and spilled chemicals into her lap. She suffered second degree burns on her legs, buttocks and hands. At trial, the defendants admitted that the product was defective and that they had failed to properly warn of the defects. Defendant disputed the nature and extent of Ries’ injuries.
The verdict was the first of its kind against an electronic cigarette distributor/wholesaler in the United States. After hearing of the product’s catastrophic failure, the jury rendered a $1.9 million verdict against the electronic cigarette’s distributor, VapCigs; its wholesaler, Cartons 2 Go; and the store where she bought it, Tobacco Expo. Presently, Mr. Bentley continues to develop this area of the law and has been retained in numerous cases throughout the country relating to e-cigarette product failures and explosions.
Gregory Bentley is a partner with Bentley & More, LLP. He specializes in the representation of consumers on a wide variety of cases, including catastrophic personal injury, product liability, insurance bad faith, and wrongful death matters. He is a Fellow in the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers, is a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, serving as President of the San Bernardino/Riverside Chapter in 2015. He is the Past President of the Consumer Attorneys of the Inland Empire (2009-2012) and currently serves as President-Elect for the Consumer Attorneys of California.
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