Parker, Waichman, Alonso LLP

Home » Topics » Other Topics » Cigarette Fires

Cigarette Fires

Approximately 900 Americans die each year and another 2,500 are injured by fires started by cigarettes, according to the American Burn Association and the federal government. A lit cigarette that is dropped onto bedding or a sofa can smolder unobtrusively for as long as 30 minutes before a fire erupts.

Philip Morris USA has settled a lawsuit in the case of a toddler who was severely burned when a cigarette left in a car started a fire, the first time the nation's top cigarette maker has paid damages in a personal injury case.

Self-extinguishing cigarettes are being made to prevent fires. The cigarettes require a special paper and go out if you don't puff on them regularly. And they cost more to produce than regular cigarettes. New York State law requires all cigarettes sold after after June 28 be self-extinguishing.

A California resident has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Philip Morris USA over its Merit self-extinguishing cigarettes. The lawsuit claims that the paper used in the cigarettes pose a greater risk for fire and injury than regular cigarettes.

The lawsuit claims that Philip Morris failed to warn consumers that the paper causes pieces of partly burned tobacco to fall from the ends of the cigarette.

If you or a loved one were injured from a cigarette fire, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified attorney.