Nitrous Oxide Lawsuit

Nitrous oxide lawsuits have been filed against Amazon and the manufacturers of products like Galaxy Gas, claiming these large, fruity-flavored “whippet” canisters are being misused by people who at risk of side effects, paralysis, nerve damage, or death.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting nitrous oxide injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured, became addicted, or died after inhaling Galaxy Gas or another flavored nitrous oxide product, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Quick Facts About Nitrous Oxide

• Products: Large flavored and unflavored nitrous oxide canisters (Galaxy Gas, Baking Bad, Cosmic Gas, Miami Magic, ExoticWhip, FastGas, HOTWHIP, MassGass, and others)
• Sold by: Amazon.com, eBay, Walmart, smoke and vape shops, and gas stations
• Hazard: Inhaling pure nitrous oxide cuts off oxygen to the brain and inactivates vitamin B12, which is linked to nerve and spinal cord damage
• Reported injuries: Paralysis, brain damage, B12 deficiency, blood clots, psychiatric symptoms, and death
• Deaths: U.S. nitrous oxide poisoning deaths rose from 23 in 2010 to 156 in 2023, a 578% increase
• FDA action: In March 2025, the FDA advised consumers not to inhale nitrous oxide from any size canister, tank, or charger
• Official source: FDA nitrous oxide safety advisory

Amazon Sued Over Galaxy Gas and Flavored Nitrous Oxide Sales

In February 2026, a group of injured consumers filed a lawsuit against Amazon and more than a dozen nitrous oxide manufacturers in King County Superior Court in Washington (Finnegan v. Amazon.com Services LLC, Case No. 26-2-05235-2). The complaint names many popular brands of nitrous oxide, including:

• Galaxy Gas
• Baking Bad
• Cosmic Gas
• Miami Magic
• ExoticWhip
• FastGas
• HOTWHIP
• MassGass
• InfusionMax.

The lawsuit alleges that Amazon and the manufacturers sold huge, candy-flavored canisters of nitrous oxide that they knew would be inhaled recreationally, then hid behind a “culinary use” label to avoid the rules that limit medical-grade nitrous oxide.

What Is the Problem With Flavored Nitrous Oxide?

Nitrous oxide, known on the street as “whippets” or “whip-its,” is a colorless gas used safely in medicine and dentistry, where it is mixed with oxygen and given through a mask. Traditional whipped cream chargers hold only about 8 to 16 grams of gas.

The new products at the center of this litigation are different. They are sold in canisters holding up to 2,000 grams of pure nitrous oxide, in flavors like watermelon, strawberry, and blueberry, in brightly colored packaging.

When inhaled in pure form without oxygen, nitrous oxide starves the body of oxygen and is linked to a condition called hypoxia, which can damage the brain and heart. Repeated use also inactivates vitamin B12, which the body needs to protect nerve cells.

The FDA warns that misuse is linked to a long list of serious health problems, described in its own words below.

“Inhaling nitrous oxide can result in a range of symptoms and serious health problems, from abnormal blood counts, asphyxiation, blood clots, frostbite, headache, impaired bowel and bladder function, lightheadedness, limb weakness, loss of consciousness, numbness, palpitations, paralysis, psychiatric disturbances (delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, depression), tingling, trouble walking, vitamin B12 deficiency, and in some cases, death.”

The FDA also warns that for some people who regularly inhale nitrous oxide, the habit is linked to prolonged neurological effects, including spinal cord or brain damage, even after they stop using it.

What Are the Symptoms of Nitrous Oxide Injury?

Many regular users do not connect their symptoms to the gas, because nerve damage can build slowly over weeks or months. Some of the health risks that have reported include:

• Numbness or tingling in the hands, legs, and feet
• Muscle weakness, trouble walking, or an unsteady gait
• Loss of coordination or balance
• Paralysis
• Memory loss and trouble thinking clearly
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Spinal cord damage and brain damage
• Blood clots and abnormal blood counts
• Psychiatric symptoms, including paranoia, hallucinations, and depression
• Loss of consciousness, which is especially dangerous behind the wheel
• Car accidents

How Many People Have Died From Nitrous Oxide?

Nitrous oxide deaths in the U.S. climbed from 23 in 2010 to 156 in 2023, a 578% increase, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers counted 1,240 deaths over that period, with about three-quarters of them occurring in the final seven years.

The medical encounters behind those deaths are rising too. A CDC report on Michigan found that poison center calls, emergency room visits, and ambulance responses tied to nitrous oxide were four to five times higher in 2023 than in 2019, and that most cases involved people aged 20 to 39. If you or your child landed in the ER after using these products, you are not alone.

Which Nitrous Oxide Brands Are Involved?

The FDA advisory and recent lawsuits name a growing list of flavored and large-canister nitrous oxide brands sold for so-called culinary use but inhaled recreationally. Galaxy Gas, made by SBK International of Kennesaw, Georgia, became the best-known name after going viral on social media. Brands identified in official warnings and court filings include:

• Galaxy Gas
• Baking Bad
• Cosmic Gas
• Miami Magic
• ExoticWhip and FastGas
• Euro Gas
• Goo Sticks
• Monster Gas
• MassGass and HOTWHIP
• Cloud 9ine
• InfusionMax
• NITROX
• Whip-It!

Has a Nitrous Oxide Company Ever Been Held Liable?

Yes. In September 2023, a St. Louis County jury returned a $745 million verdict against United Brands, the distributor of Whip-It! nitrous oxide, and a smoke shop, in the wrongful death of a 25-year-old woman struck by a driver who had inhaled the gas. The jury found that the companies deliberately disregarded public safety by selling a food propellant they knew was being used as an inhalant.

That verdict showed that distributors and sellers, not just end users, can be held accountable when they profit from a product they know is being abused. The 2026 lawsuits take that argument further by targeting Amazon as the retailer that put these canisters in consumers’ hands.

What Should I Do If I Was Injured by Nitrous Oxide?

If you were harmed after using flavored or large-canister nitrous oxide, keep any canisters, packaging, order confirmations, or receipts you still have, since they help identify the brand and the seller. The FDA advises consumers not to inhale nitrous oxide products from any size canister, tank, or charger. You can read the full advisory on the FDA website.

Do I Have a Nitrous Oxide Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting nitrous oxide injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured, became addicted, or died after inhaling Galaxy Gas or another flavored nitrous oxide product that was sold through Amazon, gas stations, or other retailers, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Recall Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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