GoWise Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Filed Over “Lock Pin” Failure, Resulting in Hot Contents Being Forcefully Ejected During Normal Use

An Ohio woman has filed a product liability lawsuit after her GoWise pressure cooker exploded, causing her to suffer serious burns when the locking pins failed to keep the lid closed while the contents were under pressure.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Erika Watson on May 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, indicating that the GoWise pressure cooker was defective and unreasonably dangerous, since it failed to include available safety features that were supposed to make sure users could not remove the lid while the contents are still cooking, which can cause scalding hot liquids to be suddenly and forcefully ejected.

The GoWise USA pressure cooker is one of many modern electronic devices introduced in recent years, which have been promoted as containing advanced safety features designed to eliminate the risk of pressure cooker explosions that have plagued older stove-top designs. However, Watson and a growing number of other consimers are now pursuing pressure cooker lawsuits against the manufacturers, indicating that these safety features are prone to fail, allowing the lid to come off while intense pressure is still built up inside the pot.

According to Watson’s lawsuit, she suffered serious and substantial burn injuries in July 2022, when she thought the GoWise pressure cooker had released all steam and was done cooking, allowing her to rotate the lid to open the device. However, intense pressure was still built up inside the pot.

Watson indicates that she believed the manufacturer’s statements that the lid could not be removed while pressure was still built up inside. However, when the lock pin failed, the pressure cooker exploded, showering her with the hot contents.

“The incident occurred as a result of the failure of the pressure cooker’s supposed ‘lock pin,’ which purports to keep the consumer safe while using the pressure cooker,” the lawsuit states. “In addition, the incident occurred as the result of Defendant’s failure to redesign the pressure cooker, despite the existence of economical, safer alternative designs.”

Watson’s lawsuit presents claims of defective manufacturing and construction, defective design, defective warning, nonconformity with representation, strict liability, negligence and breach of implied warranties.

Pressure Cooker Recalls

As more of these electric pressure cookers have been introduced in recent years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued several recalls over problems with pressure cooker explosions, where lids were able to be opened while contents are under pressure, allowing hot contents to be expelled and causing a scald or burn injury to individuals in the immediate area.

Last year, a Best Buy Insignia pressure cooker recall was announced for nearly 1 million devices, and a Sensio pressure cooker recall pulled about 900,000 devices off store shelves. Both were linked to pressure cooker explosions linked to failures of the lid safety designs.

Given design problems linked to pressure cookers sold by various manufacturers, including GoWise, Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot, Crock Pot and others, financial compensation may be available to those who have suffered injuries due to pressure cooker explosions. Pressure cooker injury lawyers provide free consultations to help determine whether individuals nationwide are eligible to pursue a lawsuit.