Baldwin County Schools preparing to sue vaping company

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Baldwin County Public Schools and Jefferson County Schools have hired a national coalition of firms led by Beasley Allen, with offices in Montgomery and Mobile, to file lawsuits against JUUL Labs and Altria for their role in the youth e-cigarette epidemic and negatively impacting the school systems. Together, the school systems consist of 103 schools and serve more than 67,000 students.

"Our investigation has revealed that JUUL designed and promoted its products to be attractive to children. Everything about the product's design — from its size and appearance, kid-friendly flavors and supercharged nicotine formulation, and aggressive social media promotion — has been directed to teen and adolescent users," said Beasley Allen lawyer Joseph VanZandt. "JUUL's conduct has exposed a new generation of children to record levels of nicotine addiction, and schools are uniquely impacted. These lawsuits are designed to ensure JUUL pays for the damages incurred, not the Alabama taxpayers who fund our public schools."  

Baldwin and Jefferson County Schools will soon file lawsuits to hold JUUL accountable for the resources policing, disciplining, and helping students who are addicted to nicotine and who constantly use JUUL devices on school property. Hundreds of other school districts across the nation have filed similar cases against JUUL; these cases are pending in multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court Northern District of California San Francisco Division case number MDL No. 3:19-md-02913-WHO.

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy conducted a months-long investigation of JUUL, including reviewing tens of thousands of internal documents. It concluded that it "deliberately targeted children to become the nation's largest seller of e-cigarettes." 

The school districts are represented by Beasley Allen, former Alabama State Senator Roger Bedford, and a national coalition of firms committed to protecting public health to represent school districts and public entities combatting the youth vaping epidemic. The consortium is comprised of the firms of Baron & Budd, P.C.; Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis and Miles, PC; Goza & Honnold, LLC; Panish Shea & Boyle LLP; Wagstaff & Cartmell, LLP; Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. The coalition represents over 140 school districts from 14 states, collectively serving over 5 million students.

Locally, Baldwin County School system is represented by Stone Crosby, P.C. in Bay Minette.

About Beasley Allen Law Firm

Beasley Allen Law Firm is a leader in complex litigation nationwide. Our primary offices are based in Atlanta, Georgia, Montgomery, Alabama, and Mobile, Alabama, although we work with attorneys and clients throughout the country. We employ 292 people, including more than 89 lawyers. Our support staff includes full-time nurses, investigators, computer specialists, and a marketing department, allowing us to handle even the most complex cases from start to finish. Beasley Allen holds state and national records for the largest jury verdicts in numerous categories. Our award-winning attorneys are ready to talk to you about your potential claim. For more information about our firm, please visit us online at www.beasleyallen.com.

About the National JUUL Litigation Team

The National JUUL Litigation consortium is comprised of the firms of Baron & Budd, P.C.; Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis and Miles, PC; Goza & Honnold, LLC; Panish Shea & Boyle LLP; Wagstaff & Cartmell, LLP; and Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. These are some of the largest and most accomplished plaintiffs’ law firms in the country. With decades of experience, the National JUUL Litigation team has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the country. The firms’ attorneys have obtained significant awards for their clients and have been recognized for their continued excellence. The legal team was formed to work jointly on behalf of public entities in the investigation and prosecution of claims for damages arising out of the public nuisance, negligence and other claims against e-cigarette companies, such as JUUL Labs, Inc. The National JUUL Litigation attorneys are leaders in representing public entities in this type of litigation. Members of our consortium currently serve in leadership roles, including Public Entity Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel representing school districts throughout California. All the firms on the legal team have built their reputations on their ability to litigate complex disputes. The National JUUL Litigation team is committed to representing public entities, large or small, and ensuring they are justly compensated for the cost imposed on them by irresponsible companies. For more information, visit www.schoolvapingcrisis.com.