A St. Charles County jury awarded more than $2.35 million to a man who was severely injured when the battery in his vaping device exploded.
The award includes $2 million in punitive damages against Lightfire Holdings, which was alleged to have supplied lithium-ion batteries to a St. Louis-area store, where plaintiff Bryan Durham purchased one in 2017.
After a few months of use, the battery exploded in Durham’s face, causing multiple broken and missing teeth, a jaw fracture, numerous burns, and nerve damage in his mouth and left hand and arm.
Durham alleged that the battery was mislabeled as rated for 38 amps when its actual output was 10 amps, and that it lacked a device to prevent it from overheating.
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Breakdown: $352,083 in compensatory damages, $2 million punitive damages
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Full Story: Missouri Lawyers Media September 11, 2023
