Jay Patel of Duluth, Georgia is suing e-cigarette company Juul after his vaping habit nearly cost him his life. He first started vaping in 2015, believing it to be safe. However, he would later end up in the hospital on a ventilator, according to GPB News.
Patel, who is 38 years old, was previously healthy and active prior to the serious problems he sustained from vaping. He not only ran marathons but played soccer internationally. Nevertheless, he still wound up in a coma at Gwinnett Medical Center with severe lung disease.
The particular lung disease Patel developed is called Evali. It is extremely dangerous and is specifically associated with vaping. It has already caused the death of six Georgia citizens. The majority of the cases of this disease the state has seen occurred in men and the ages of patients have ranged from 18 to 68 years old. It typically begins with pneumonia and has other side effects including cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Attorney Jacob Plattenberger says Patel has sustained permanent lung damage and will need treatment for the rest of his life.
“He was an elite-level athlete for most of his life, played international soccer and was a marathoner and was overall in great health. [Patel] started vaping and vaped for a little under two years and then crashed one day and went into Gwinnett County Medical Center and wound up on a ventilator in the ICU in a coma for two weeks with EVALI.”
Plattenberger went on to say that Patel’s life has changed forever as a result of his vaping habit and eventual lung disease. Not only was he hit with major medical bills due to his lengthy hospital stay, but he will never enjoy the health he once had.
“He’s also suffered non-economic damages: pain and suffering, loss of normal life. He’s a young guy with young kids, and used to lead a very active lifestyle,” Plattenberger said.
The attorney explained that his client fell for Juul’s marketing, not realizing how dangerous the products really are. In addition, he accused Juul of not being honest regarding the chemicals present in their product.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, this is far from the first lawsuit Juul has faced. An Oregon student named Kewmarse Imani also filed a lawsuit against the company last year. He claimed that in their advertisements, Juul failed to disclose the health risks their products pose. Imani suffered a seizure after becoming addicted to vaping.