Recent Pressure Cooker Explosion Cases with Injuries (2021 Update)

Pressure cooker explosions can be devastating for ordinary people using instant pots and other similar appliances in their kitchens. Instant pots and pressure cookers can heat their contents to over 40 degrees higher than the boiling point. Severe burn injuries and even death can occur if you’re standing close to a pressure cooker when it explodes.

With millions of users in the U.S. alone, hundreds of people have been hurt in pressure cooker explosions. Burn injuries from this type of incident could take years of expensive and painful medical treatment to recover. You may even suffer from permanent scarring.

Home appliance manufacturers have a legal duty to create safe products for their customers. They must be held responsible when they create a defective or malfunctioning product that puts the lives of consumers at risk. A personal injury lawsuit can help you hold the responsible parties accountable and get the compensation you need to heal and move forward.

A note from attorney Jordon Harlan:

The award-winning personal injury lawyers at Harlan Law are now actively taking cases and fighting for victims of pressure cooker explosions across the country. If you or a loved one has been hurt in any way because of a malfunctioning pressure cooker or instant pot, call us today at (619) 870-0802 for a FREE case consultation. We take cases on a contingency fee basis so you don’t pay us a penny until we win your case.

Pressure Cooker Accident Statistics

Pressure cooker accidents are shockingly common, devastating unsuspecting families who are just trying to get food on the table. Children and pets can also get hurt if they’re nearby.

• In 2019, U.S. consumers bought a total of $51.48 million dollars of pressure cookers. That represents a 16% increase compared to 2010.
• The contents inside a pressure cooker could get as hot as 240-250°F.
• Millions of crockpots, pressure cookers, and instant pots have been recalled in recent years because of users getting injured and burned in explosions
• Over ten different brands of pressure cookers have been recalled from the market
• Over 17 brands have been sued by users who were injured by their products. Some of these companies never recalled their dangerous or defective appliances and are still selling them on the U.S. market today.

How Likely Is It for a Pressure Cooker to Explode?

More likely than you might think. With so many pressure cooker recalls and so many lawsuits, these appliances have shown that they can be extremely dangerous if faulty.

Even though modern household appliances are comparatively safer now than they ever have been, a defect in the product design or manufacturing process can put lives at risk.

What Happens If a Pressure Cooker Explodes?

If you’re standing close enough, the sheer force of a pressure cooker explosion could knock you back and cause injuries. But the biggest risk from a pressure cooker explosion comes from the contents inside that are heated to extreme temperatures.

When a pressure cooker’s lid bursts, whatever’s cooking inside can go flying across the room because of the sudden change of pressure. At well over 200 degrees, that’s hot enough to scald or burn anyone in the room who’s exposed to the spray.

Not just that, but pressure cookers are so powerful that some explosions can cause property damage to people’s kitchens and houses. After an incident like this, many victims file personal injury lawsuits against the manufacturers of these appliances. A settlement or judgment from a lawsuit can help cover costs of medical treatment, lost wages from being unable to work, and any pain or emotional suffering you’ve experienced as a result of your accident.

Recent Pressure Cooker Cases and Lawsuits

If enough people get injured in a similar way by the same product, the victims can combine their claims against the manufacturer in a products liability class action case. A class action picks a “typical” case to represent the interests of the whole group.

Many pressure cooker lawsuits have been filed over the years and continue to be filed today. Harlan Law has filed a number of claims among them for our clients.

• A New York woman filed a lawsuit on February 3, 2021, against Zavor America Inc. (otherwise known as Fecna America Inc. or Fagor America Inc.) when her Fagor EZ Lock Pressure Cooker exploded on February 23, 2018. The victim suffered burns when the scalding hot contents covered her body. The lawsuit claims that even with all of the “safety features” that are supposed to come with the product, the lid can still be removed when heat, steam, and pressure are built up inside.
• A Louisiana woman filed a personal injury lawsuit against SharkNinja LLC after she was burned on April 14, 2020, when her Ninja Foodi pressure cooker exploded. The victim experienced “serious and substantial burn injuries” even though the product advertises 14 different safety features to stop an explosion from happening.
• Another lawsuit was filed in Florida against Sunbeam Products, Inc. in December 2020 when the company’s Crock-Pot Multi-Cooker exploded while the contents were still pressurized. The victim suffered severe burns in the explosion that cost them medical bills, mental anguish, and a lessened quality of life.
• A Pennsylvania woman filed a lawsuit in Florida on September 3, 2020, against Tristar Products when the Tristar Power Pressure Cooker XL exploded. Despite the contents still being under pressure, the victim was able to twist open the lid when it blew off, spraying the hot food from inside the pot all over her. Her lawsuit claims that the product’s defect makes it “unreasonably dangerous” to consumers.
• Another woman filed a products liability lawsuit in Florida on April 15, 2020, against Sunbeam Products Inc. and Newell Brands, Inc. for their defective Crock-Pot Electric Pressure Cooker. Even though the victim used the pressure cooker according to the instructions, the lid exploded and caused the hot contents to burn her.
• A man from Huntington Beach, California suffered severe burn injuries when his Cuisinart pressure cooker (manufactured by Conair Corporation) exploded on January 6, 2019. The explosion happened when the victim tried to open the lid after the cooker showed that the pressure inside had been released. This ended up being wrong, causing the lid to burst and spray hot contents everywhere.
• Another couple filed a lawsuit against Cuisinart and manufacturer Conair Corporation when their pressure cooker exploded on September 3, 2018. Even though the product boasted of having several “safety features,” these did not actually stop the cooker from malfunctioning. The couple’s daughter was also in the room at the time of the explosion – she experienced severe thermal burns to her skin along with her mother. The lawsuit blames the product’s defects for causing the accident.

That’s just a small sampling of the pressure cooker lawsuits filed recently. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for children to also get hurt while in the kitchen with their parents or family.

Pressure cookers are popular because they’re quick and convenient – which is why millions of people in the U.S. use them in their home kitchens. As their popularity continues to rise, it’s only inevitable that any defective products on the market will cause more injuries.

If you’ve been injured in a pressure cooker explosion, you deserve to be compensated for the harm caused by a company’s defective product. A personal injury lawyer can help, but you must act quickly – before the statute of limitation runs out on your case and you lose your chance.

Pressure Cooker Settlement Amounts

Depending on the severity of your injuries, a settlement from a pressure cooker lawsuit could compensate you for damages up to hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

A personal injury settlement can cover both economic and non-economic losses, such as medical bills, lost income, physical pain, mental anguish, or emotional suffering.

• A 5-year-old girl experienced devastating burns and injuries when her family’s Vasconia brand pressure cooker exploded, burning her body extensively. The victim lost her leg, hip, and fingers in the explosion because the locking mechanism that came with the pressure cooker was the wrong size. She will have to wear prosthetics for her entire life and may struggle to perform simple tasks like feeding herself. The manufacturer Lifetime Brands settled the lawsuit for $26 million in November 2018.

The more serious and permanent your injuries, the more the responsible party could be liable. You shouldn’t have to bear the burden of paying for your recovery when your injury was caused by a manufacturer’s negligence or malfeasance. As a victim, you have rights.

The personal injury attorneys at Harlan Law can help. We have the knowledge and experience to fight for a successful resolution to your case. We are passionate about getting our clients the justice that they deserve, whether that comes in a settlement or court judgment.

Call our offices now at (619) 870-0802 to talk to an experienced pressure cooker explosion lawyer today. Your consultation is free and our legal team works on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay us until we recover compensation for you.