Indonesian man's exploding cigarette product liability payout

We all know that cigarettes are bad for our health. It's why fewer and fewer of us smoke. Gone are the days when we used to sit in trains, theatres, cinemas and workplaces swimming through a fug of smoke. In fact, so far have we come with the smoking ban in indoor public places that nowadays it is hard to imagine this used to be the norm. Sadly, despite, years of disingenuous marketing and health claims on the part of cigarette manufacturers few people have ever received significant product liability payouts for tobacco-related illnesses.

This makes it particularly pleasing when one hears of a case where a tobacco company does offer some product liability compensation of sorts to a person who has suffered smoking-related injuries.

Unfortunately though, the case in question is not a recognition of the long-term health damage caused by years of smoking. No, it is not a payment for heart disease, lung cancer, mouth cancer or emphysema; instead it is merely a one-off payment to cover the medical expenses stemming from a freak smoking-related accident in which an Indonesian man suffered the loss of six teeth when the cigarette he was smoking exploded in his mouth.

In addition to the loss of teeth, the man also required 51 stitches; all in all making for a pretty painful experience. However, things could have been so much worse. He had been riding his motorbike at the time of the sudden explosion and could, presumably, very easily have spun out of control and suffered serious motorcycling injuries.

The cigarette's manufacturer, despite not admitting liability for the incident, did agree to pay a small sum of product liability injury compensation to cover the cost of the man's medical and dental treatment.

Furthermore, it did admit that one of the cigarette's ingredients had the potential to cause explosion, albeit only in large quantities.

"From around 4,000 chemical substances found in a cigarette, there is one substance that is identical to a substance used to formulate rocket fuel, "said a spokesperson.

Adding, "But although it exists in cigarettes, I think the amount is too small to trigger an explosion."

The victim of the accident commented, "The company's officials have talked to my family and we agreed to settle it amicably, as an out-of-court settlement. They will pay all the medical expenses."

If one good thing comes from the incident it is that the 31-year-old security guard, who has been smoking since he was of primary school age, says he has found it all so shocking that he now plans to quit smoking.

Can I claim?