Pressure Cooker Lawsuits Shake Ninja and Walmart: Advice for Consumers

In May 2023, BestLife reported on pressure cooker lawsuits filed against Walmart by two individuals, Jaylon Reed and Skyy Williams.

The lawsuit targeted both Farberware Licensing Company, LLC, and Walmart for selling the Farberware pressure cooker exclusively through Walmart. They claim that the Farberware 7-in-1 programmable pressure cooker has dangerous defects. The cooker’s lid can rotate and open while there is pressure inside the unit. This poses a potential danger, as it can forcefully detach the lid from the device during normal use.

Williams says that she checked the pressure cooker 45 minutes after the cooking got completed. As she pressed the release button, the lid unexpectedly exploded off the pot. All the food was forcefully ejected out, leading to painful injuries.

Reed had first and second-degree burns on his left arm and Williams suffered from second and third-degree burns on her chest, arms, stomach, breasts, shoulders, and neck.

In September 2022, PR Newswire reported on similar lawsuits filed against other pressure cooker brands in the USA, including Instant Pot, Bena Casa, Maxi-Matic, SharkNinja, and Bella.

Settlement Value for Pressure Cooker Lawsuits

The potential settlement value for a defective pressure cooker lawsuit depends on the severity and nature of physical injuries. An obvious injury caused by any pressure cooker explosion is thermal burn. Your settlement value depends on the location and extent of the burn.

The average payout for second-degree burns is between $125,000 and $200,000. For third-degree burns, the victims can expect between $600,000 to $2,000,000. A facial burn with permanent disfigurement will get a higher settlement value. But it depends on how a personal injury lawyer builds the cases and represents the same in court.

TorHoerman Law states that pressure cooker explosions can severely affect people around the device. It can cause damage to the face and eyes, making victims blind. The force with which the cooker explodes can lead to traumatic brain injury. Defects in the cooker cause an explosion. Victims who suffer from it are eligible for a product liability claim.

People who want to be correctly compensated for pressure cooker accidents can file individual claims instead of class action lawsuits.

Reasons for a Pressure Cooker to Explode

In February 2023, PR Newswire reported on Ms. Morrison from Texas, who accused Ninja Foodi of a defective pressure cooker that made her suffer from thermal burns. Accidents like this make it necessary for customers to learn about the reasons for explosions.

A cooker pot uses hot steam within the locked lid so that the food can cook fast. As water boils, the steam gets released and accumulates inside the cooker. As steam goes up, the pressure and temperature also rise. The cooker explodes when the pressurized high-temperature steam gets released suddenly.

The other reasons that cause pressure cooker explosions are:

• Faulty Lid Seals

Cooker pot lids should be airtight to keep the pressure and steam inside the device intact till it reaches the ideal cooking condition. If the silicone or rubber seal has a faulty design, it might break and explode.

• Faulty Venting and Depressurization

Venting enables very hot steam to get released gradually from a cooker pot. If this mechanism is disturbed, it can cause an explosion.

• Faulty Lid Lock

If a pressure cooker lock is not working correctly, you must open the device before venting. Else it can expel very hot food and cause burns. Ultrex and QVC recalled 1400 and 900 cooker pots, respectively, because of defective lids.

• Faulty Gasket

The gasket seals the pressure cooker so that pressure can build up inside the device. Brevllie had recalled close to 35,000 pressure cookers because of faulty gaskets that led to accidents causing severe burns.

• Defective Automatic Shutoff Valve

The majority of electric cooker pots have an in-built automatic shutoff valve for security purposes. When this feature fails, the cooker pot releases very hot steam or explodes.

Hence, customers must check the cooker before they cook. The rubber gasket placed between the lid and the pot ensures the correct functioning of the device. Make sure that the gasket is clean before cooking. It should not be dried out or cracked. A few manufacturers advise replacing the rubber gasket once annually, depending on your frequency of use.

Conclusion

The PR Newswire in September 2022 reported that a huge number of cooker pot lawsuits are being filed all across the United States. Various law firms have filed over 100 electric pressure cooker injury claims against leading brands.

Certain pressure cookers in the market exhibit visible defects. Most people might not face any issues with these pressure cookers. However, a small number of units may experience safety failures that lead to permanent disfiguring and catastrophic scars. In case of injuries and burns caused by pressure cooker explosions, it is imperative to seek both medical and legal assistance.