Instant Pot Lawsuit Filed Against Walmart After Pressure Cooker Exploded, Causing Serious Burns

Walmart faces a product liability lawsuit brought by a consumer who suffered painful and disfiguring burns when an Instant Pot exploded, after safety features failed and allowed the lid to be removed while the contents were still pressurized and cooking.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Vanessa Loftis in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas on December 12, pursuing damages from Walmart, Inc. for placing profits ahead of consumer safety by continuing to sell Instant Pot pressure cookers to consumers, despite knowing about dangerous design defects that may cause serious injuries.

Loftis indicates that she purchased an Instant Pot DUO 8-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker from a Las Vegas Walmart, which lacked safety features that should have prevented the lid from being removed until all internal pressure was released from the pot. As a result of these defects, the pressure cooker lid exploded off the device, causing Loftis to be sprayed with scalding hot contents that were forcefully ejected from the Instant Pot.

Pressure Cooker Explosion Risks

The claim joins a number of similar pressure cooker lawsuits filed in recent months against Walmart, Instant Pot, and manufacturers of other popular devices, including Crock Pot, Ninja Foodie and others, each raising similar allegations that the modern electronic devices are prone to explode when the lid is removed, even after it appears all steam has been released from the pot.

Modern electronic pressure cookers like the Instant Pot pressure cooker have become popular in recent decades, amid marketing that has promoted advanced features that were supposed to prevent pressure cooker explosions that have plagued older, stove-top designs.

However, Loftis and other plaintiffs allege that devastating pressure cooker accidents could have been avoided if the advertised safety features had not failed.

Most of the problems involve similar burns to large portions of the user’s body, which occurred after the lid exploded off while the contents were still pressurized. However, other injuries linked to pressure cookers have also included eye injuries, broken bones and other complications that resulted from electrocutions, spills or explosions.

Walmart Ignored Instant Pot Problems

Loftis indicates that her Instant Pot accident occurred December 26, 2021, while she was using the pressure cooker to prepare a family meal, leaving her with serious and substantial burn injuries when she rotated and opened the lid.

The complaint notes that Loftis followed all of the instructions provided with the Instant Pot, but the defective safety features touted by the retailer failed, causing scalding hot contents to be forcefully ejected from the pressure cooker and onto her body.

“[Walmart] knew or should have known of these defects, but has nevertheless put profit ahead of safety by continuing to sell its pressure cookers to consumers, failing to warn said consumers of the serious risks posed by the defects and failing to recall the dangerously defective pressure cookers regardless of the risk of significant injuries to Plaintiff and consumers like her,” the lawsuit states.

Loftis presents claims of strict product liability, negligence, negligent manufacturing defect, negligent design defect, negligent information defect and breach of implied warranty.