The lawsuit claims the incident last year left William emotionally scarred for life and his leg severely charred.
NEW BRUNSWICK -- A Monmouth County couple is suing vaping business over an e-cigarette that exploded in the man's pants and allegedly changed his life, according to court documents.
Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick. January 13, 2017 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) The lawsuit, filed by William and Kathleen Barrese in Middlesex County Superior Court on March 6, claims the incident last year left William emotionally scarred for life and his leg severely charred.
The suit names Gorilla Vapes, a local supplier of e-cigarettes and e-liquids with half a dozen stores in the state, and e-liquid company LG Chem LTD.
According to the suit, William Barrese was at work on Dec. 26, 2016, when the battery in his e-cigarette suddenly exploded in his left pocket, shooting flames down his pants.
"The explosion resulted in extensive burns on his lower extremity," the suit reads.
The Middletown man was hospitalized and saw a dermatologist, according to the lawsuit.
Barrese purchased the vaping device at a Gorilla Vapes location. The suit accuses the company of knowing its product was defective.
According to its website, Gorilla Vapes develops and sells "designer e-cigs." The company could not be reached for comment.
The liability lawsuit seeks damages, future medical costs and legal fees.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.