Is vaping to blame for suburban man’s disease?
A man sued JUUL, claiming the company failed to post a proper warning
PALOS HEIGHTS, IL — For the past decade, many people have viewed e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to smoking.
South suburban resident Michael Lumpkins was one of those people. The Palos Heights father of two started using e-cigarettes a few years ago. He said he believed the product was less risky than smoking. A year later, he said he developed pneumonia. Even while taking antibiotics, the infection spread to his brain and caused irreversible damage. On scans, the damage looks like a traumatic brain injury.
Brian LaCien is the attorney representing Lumpkins.
“Unfortunately, in the case of Mr. Lumpkins, the infection [traveled] was in his brain space, which was a rare type of infection,” he said. “The [e-cigarette] he used his body’s reduced ability to fight the disease.’
Lumpkins is currently suing JUUL Labs, one of the largest e-cigarette manufacturers in the world. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to post adequate warning about the risks of using its product.
A spokesperson for the company did not respond to WGN’s repeated requests for comment.
Lumpkins now has trouble walking and taking care of himself. His cognitive functions were also impaired.
“It beat the hell out of me,” he said.
Lumpkins’ lawsuit is now working its way through the courts. At the same time, when asked what advice he had for e-cigarette users, he said: “Stop now. Vaping killed me.”
https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/is-vaping-to-blame-for-suburban-mans-illness/