JUUL Lawsuit Alleges 20-Year Old College Suffered Hemorrhagic Stroke After Becoming Addicted to Vaping

The makers of JUUL pods face a product liability lawsuit brought by a man who indicates that side effects of vaping as a teenager caused him to become addicted to the e-cigarette and suffer a hemorrhagic stroke.

The complaint (PDF) was filed earlier this month by Maxwell Berger in the Superior Court of California, indicating that JUUL Labs never warned users about the high levels of addictive nicotine in JUUL pods, or the risk that vaping may result in strokes or other serious injury.

Berger indicates that he developed a JUUL addiction in about 2015, when he was still in high school. He became more dependent on the high levels of nicotine contained in the popular products, which also caused his blood pressure to spike, the lawsuit claims.

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In July 2017, while the then 20 year old was home from college, Berger indicates he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke due to JUUL vaping, which left him hospitalized for more than 100 days and resulted in permanent injuries.

The JUUL lawsuit joins a growing number of complaints filed by young adults, teenagers and parents, claiming that the manufacturer targeted their addictive product at teens and withheld important safety warnings.

“Defendant designed JUUL to addict young people,” the lawsuit notes. “By studying cigarette industry archives, JUUL learned how to manipulate the nicotine in its products to maximize addictiveness, particularly among new users and young people, and thereby increase sales.”

In recent years, JUUL vape pens have quickly grown to dominate the market for electronic cigarettes, especially among teens and young adults. The JUUL pods are designed to look like USB thumb drives, allowing the vaping habit to be hidden from parents, teachers and other adults. In addition, the manufacturer sells the product in various candy-like flavors, which critics indicate are designed to encourage non-smokers to begin vaping, leading to JUUL addictions due to the levels of nicotine contained in the pods.

Recent FDA data indicates teen e-cigarette use has reached epidemic levels. In fact, e-cigarettes have become the most popular form of tobacco among teens.

A recent study indicated that e-cigarette advertising reaches 80% of middle and high school students in the U.S. Furthermore, vaping during adolescence quadruples a teen’s risk of becoming a cigarette tobacco smoker later.

In February, the American Lung Association gave the FDA a failing grade for not doing enough to prevent teens from using and buying e-cigarettes. Vaping is now the most popular form of tobacco youth among U.S. teens, with rates of teen use jumping by 78% from 2017 to 2018 alone.

In 2011, when the FDA first said it would regulate e-cigarettes, only 1.5 percent of teens vaped, but now more than one-third of teens use e-cigarettes.

Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics also called on the federal government to implement more stringent vaping laws across the country, and not wait another year to act.

15 Comments

  • RobbinAugust 23, 2022 at 6:28 pm

    I started using juul to stop smoking in 2012, it worked I stopped smoking and all but I was addicted to the juul and ended up with COPD in 2013. I started to have a chronic cough about 6 months after using it. I can't breath most of the time it's hard for me to work or even walk a half of a block. I keep coughing up this nasty flem and it's does feel like a simi truck is sitting on my chest sq[Show More]I started using juul to stop smoking in 2012, it worked I stopped smoking and all but I was addicted to the juul and ended up with COPD in 2013. I started to have a chronic cough about 6 months after using it. I can't breath most of the time it's hard for me to work or even walk a half of a block. I keep coughing up this nasty flem and it's does feel like a simi truck is sitting on my chest squishing me. I now take there one a day inhalants for it. And I've been on Zoloft and other ani depression medications and anxiety meds i also have a hard time completing everyday tasks due to some other complications with my lungs and respiratory problems I have been in and out of the hospital, my husband has to wake me up in the middle of the night to cuz I stop breathing in my sleep. I just can't stop vaping even though I can't breath...

  • QadiraMay 25, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    I caught Pneumonia after smoking the Jull e cigarette Fever shortness of breath dizziness throwing up blood pain

  • AliMarch 11, 2020 at 2:41 pm

    I have been smoking e-cigarettes since 2015 I have difficulty of breathing I can’t sleep normally anymore I grinding my teeth while am sleeping my wife wake me up in middle of the night because sometimes I stop breathing.

  • JohnFebruary 21, 2020 at 5:55 pm

    Had a stroke and short of breath , addicted to tabacco

  • DianeFebruary 12, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    I started smoking e-cigarette in June of 08 after a year I develop COPD I'm on Albuterol in 08 I had a stroke couldn't go back to work had to fight for my disability went five years with no income due to smoking now I went from a $1350 every 2wks to disability $578 mo I'm also on Zoloft to help me with depression anxiety

  • DonnaJanuary 24, 2020 at 9:04 am

    It's not just teens and young adults affected by e-cigs. Older people who were told this would help them quit cigarettes are victims too because I'm one of them. Even though at the time I wasn't a heavy smoker but now I'm smoking more than I ever have in my life and now I'm having to see a Pulmonary specialist. I cant stop coughing and can't breathe right . I'm spitting up a thick phlegm[Show More]It's not just teens and young adults affected by e-cigs. Older people who were told this would help them quit cigarettes are victims too because I'm one of them. Even though at the time I wasn't a heavy smoker but now I'm smoking more than I ever have in my life and now I'm having to see a Pulmonary specialist. I cant stop coughing and can't breathe right . I'm spitting up a thick phlegm clear and thick like glue and I think they should be made to suffer just like the rest of us. It's not just teens we are older but we are people affected as well Donna Horton

  • RobertJanuary 16, 2020 at 8:28 pm

    I smoked e cig 10yeatsago now I have copd and pe

  • JasonJanuary 16, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    I started smoking juul strawberry lemonade to wuit nicotine and cigarette use well when i did my asmastma i got rid of as a kid jumpedcin full affect i started spiting nast green yellow flem started geting bad headackes snd having a bad attitude my anxiety is out the roof now n im more addicted to nocotine more then ever my headaches are still there along with anxiety but astma is almost gone thou[Show More]I started smoking juul strawberry lemonade to wuit nicotine and cigarette use well when i did my asmastma i got rid of as a kid jumpedcin full affect i started spiting nast green yellow flem started geting bad headackes snd having a bad attitude my anxiety is out the roof now n im more addicted to nocotine more then ever my headaches are still there along with anxiety but astma is almost gone though

  • MJanuary 16, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    I. Smoke. Juul. To. I thought. I. Was. Having a heart. Tat. Went to. Thanks. Er. From. Work.

  • MandyJanuary 2, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    I do believe and can pretty much prove that vaping is dangerious to your health and I can prove it. I had 3 hospitalizations from vaping. I spent days in the hospital even that didn't stop me from vaping because it is that addictive. Vaping is so addictive that even knowing it's killing I can't stop

  • CarleenDecember 31, 2019 at 5:08 am

    I started using juul to quit smoking cigarettes and I used it until I now cough and it feels like a elephant is sitting on my chest. I now cough all the time and I am going to be seeing my doctor about this problem.

  • MarkDecember 30, 2019 at 7:40 am

    I have lots of breathing issues from it as well as high blood pressure from being addicted to nicotine and just lost my presious mother due to nicotine

  • DarleneDecember 30, 2019 at 2:16 am

    I've been smoking junk thinking it could help me to stop smoking cigarettes, since I've started smoking junk I've developed a chronic continuously cough, spitting up flimsy that I never did from smoking cigarettes. I've also been diagnosed with COPD...My grandson also started smoking junk in high school he is now 191/2 years old has a chronic cough. He also was b O.K n with collapse lungs...I'd li[Show More]I've been smoking junk thinking it could help me to stop smoking cigarettes, since I've started smoking junk I've developed a chronic continuously cough, spitting up flimsy that I never did from smoking cigarettes. I've also been diagnosed with COPD...My grandson also started smoking junk in high school he is now 191/2 years old has a chronic cough. He also was b O.K n with collapse lungs...I'd like to know how did he purchase it at 16 yrs old...he so has the same kind of cough I have and spitting up flim...

  • chevelleDecember 17, 2019 at 5:44 pm

    I'm addicted to it n cant breath

  • MelAugust 4, 2019 at 3:32 pm

    There is no known proof that vaping causes any problems, some vape juices have no nicotine while others do. However we do know for a Fact smoking cigarettes causes heart, lung, gum, and throat disease. How much profit does the government get on the sales of cigarettes sold in the US v the sales of vape sales?

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