Juul Labs is the target of more than 700 lawsuits in the U.S. federal court system claiming that the manufacturer of the popular e-cigarette product, Juul. The lawsuits alleged that Juul Labs intentionally targeted teenagers in its marketing campaign for the e-cigarettes to get them addicted to nicotine. The plaintiffs in these lawsuits are many, including school districts and other entities from across the nation who have allegedly suffered damages. Vaping has become a nationwide trend in the United States and has gained significant popularity among non-smokers, especially teenagers. Other plaintiffs represented in the lawsuits are individuals who have become addicted to nicotine, as well as those who have suffered injuries or other damages from the use of Juul Labs’s products.
Juul Labs Facing Hundreds of Lawsuits
Because of the similarity of many of the lawsuits, the more than 700 Juul cases were consolidated into Multidistrict Litigation (“MDL”). In MDL, the cases are heard as a group for motions and pre-trial discovery matters. The cases settle individually, however, based on the facts and law of the particular lawsuit. The Juul MDL is being heard in the United States District Court of Northern California, presided over by judge William H. Orrick III. Legal experts believe that several thousand lawsuits will be filed against Juul Labs over the next few years.
But MDL are not the only cases Juul Labs is facing. There are hundreds of additional lawsuits that have been filed in state and local courts throughout the nation. Moreover, 11 state attorneys general in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., have filed suits against the manufacturer. The state and local lawsuits have similar allegations, claiming that Juul Labs intentionally targeted young adults, teens, and non-smokers with their highly addictive vaping products. The lawsuits further allege that the manufacturer hid information about the high levels of nicotine in their products as well as the dangers of nicotine addiction.
The lawsuits against Juul Labs further notes that because the Juul device is the shape and size of a USB drive, it is easily hidden from parents and other authority figures. Claims further allege that the fruity and trendy flavors available in the Juul vape pods appealed to young people who may or may not have already been smokers. The claims further allege that Juul Labs marketed the e-cigarettes as healthier than regular cigarettes, among other claims.
Juul Labs was also hit with another lawsuit last October, this one from its former senior vice president of global finance who claims retaliation and wrongful termination by the manufacturer when he raised concerns internally about the company knowingly selling over a million contaminated mint-flavored nicotine pods.
Courtroom Proven
If you have suffered an injury in Nevada, contact H&P Law today. Our attorneys will fight for your rights and seek the best monetary compensation available under the facts of your case and applicable law. We have experienced success inside and out of the courtroom. Contact us today.
