Three plaintiffs filed new pressure cooker lawsuits in recent weeks, all of them claiming that the cookers unexpectedly exploded, causing serious injuries.
Arkansas Man Claims Instant Pot Caused Serious Injuries
The first case involves a man from Arkansas. He filed his complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, naming Instant Brands, Inc., as the sole defendant.
The plaintiff claims that he was using the Instant Pot IP-LUX Electric Pressure Cooker on March 27, 2020, to make a meal. He was able to rotate and open the lid to the cooker while it was still under pressure, which caused the scalding hot contents to be forcefully ejected from the cooker. They landed on him and as a consequence, he suffered from serious bodily injuries.
Instant Brands has repeatedly advertised its pressure cookers’ safety mechanisms. In the product manual, it says that as a safety feature, “until the float valve drops down the lid is locked and cannot be opened.” The company also produced YouTube videos in which it emphasized its 10 built-in safety features.
The plaintiff claims the cooker was defectively designed and manufactured and that the safety mechanisms did not work as advertised.
Rhode Island Woman Claims Ninja Foodie Pressure Cooker Caused Disfiguring Burns
The second case involves a Rhode Island woman who claims that the Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp pressure cooker exploded and caused her significant injuries. She names Sharkninja Operating LLC as the sole defendant. Her case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
According to her complaint, the plaintiff was using the pressure cooker on January 31, 2021, to cook a meal. Like the first plaintiff, she claims that the cooker’s lid “suddenly and unexpectedly” exploded off the pot, allowing its scalding hot contents to spew out. These contents landed on the plaintiff, causing her to suffer from severe, disfiguring burns.
SharkNinja boasts that its cookers have 14 safety features that are supposed to keep users safe. The owner’s manual accompanying this pressure cooker talks about a safety feature that prevents the lid from unlocking until the “unit is completely depressurized.”
Texas Woman Sues Best Buy Over Alleged Insignia Cooker Defects
The third case involves a Texas woman who claims that she was injured by the Insignia 6-Qt. Multi-Function Pressure Cooker. She filed her case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, and instead of suing the manufacturer, is suing Best Buy, where she purchased the cooker.
According to her complaint, she was using the device on May 4, 2021, when she was able to rotate and open the lid while the cooker was still under pressure. The contents spewed out and landed on her. She says that this happened despite the cooker’s supposed safety features that were supposed to keep the lid closed while the unit was pressurized.
These cases are much like many others that have been filed concerning pressure cookers. Other brands that have been named in these suits include Tristar, Crock-Pot, Cuisinart, NuWave, Bella Cucina, and Wolfgang Puck.
Exclusively focused on representing plaintiffs, especially in mass tort litigation, Eric Chaffin prides himself on providing unsurpassed professional legal services in pursuit of the specific goals of his clients and their families. Both his work and his cases have been featured in the national press, including on ABC’s Good Morning America.
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