E-cig Danger Draws Objections from Warehouse Company

Concerned about e-cig danger, an Indiana warehousing company is objecting to an e-cigarette manufacturer’s plan to abandon its warehoused inventory.

The manufacturer, NJOY Inc., is now seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. NJOY has stored its e-cigarette products with warehouser Jacobson Warehouse Co. Inc. since 2013.

However, NJOY says several thousand pallets of its products have become obsolete or damaged at Jacobsen’s Plainfield, Ind. facility. As part of the benkruptcy process, the company is proposing to abandon its Jacobsen-held inventory of e-cigarettes, leaving it to Jacobsen to deal with.

Jacobsen is asking the bankruptcy court to reject NJOY’s plan. The company notes that both storing and disposing of NJOY’s e-cigarette products is a safety risk given the e-cig danger linked with the products’ lithium batteries.

NJOY asked Jacobson to store or dispose of over 3,400 pallets of e-cig devices. But Jacobson has argued that despite their contract, devices linked with serious risk like e-cig danger cannot be abandoned irresponsibly, circumventing or violating federal or state safety laws for such devices.

According to Jacobsen, “the remaining inventory contains lithium batteries, which in the volume of the remaining inventory are dangerous and hazardous substances. Furthermore, lithium batteries must be disposed of in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing their disposal and transportation to protect the public health and welfare.”

The claims that Jacobson Warehouse made about e-cig danger are based on a number of reports from federal agencies about the problems of these devices.

Indeed, Jacobson Warehouse referenced reports from the National Fire Protection Association, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, and the United States Fire Administration that each indicated the growing rate of accidents and injuries related to e-cigarettes and their lithium batteries.

These reports point out that e-cigarette batteries are associated with a risk of fire or explosions that can cause serious physical harm.

Jacobson Warehouse rejected the request to hold and dispose of the e-cig products themselves, and said the responsibility should lie with the manufacturer.

“As a result of the special environmental issues and risk of explosion associated with the disposal of the lithium batteries in the remaining inventory, the court should impose an affirmative duty on the debtor to dispose of the remaining inventory and prohibit abandonment,” the statement read.

E-Cigarette Basics

E-cigarettes are devices that act as substitutes for the standard cigarette, and are used for the more direct intake of nicotine, without needing to light a cigarette. E-cigarette devices have only been available on the U.S. market for a few years, but they have rapidly increased in popularity over that period.

While e-cigarette makers claim that their products are safer than other forms of smoking, there are substantial reports and studies of serious e-cig danger disputing this claim. Some users have even begun filing e-cigarette lawsuits against shops and device manufacturers, alleging that these devices caused explosions, burns, and other serious injuries.

According to these plaintiffs, lithium-ion e-cigarette batteries can spontaneously explode while in use, in a pocket, in a user’s hand, or while being charged.

If you or someone you love has suffered from exploding e-cigarette batteries, you may be able to seek compensation through an e-cigarette lawsuit.

Join a Free Exploding E-Cigarette Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one was injured and hospitalized by an exploding e-cigarette, you may qualify to join this e-cigarette class action lawsuit investigation.