Pressure Cooker Explosion Lawsuits

A growing number of serious pressure cooker accidents have been linked to new electric designs, where the pressure cookers exploded when the lid blew off or was able to be removed while the contents were under pressure. These design defects may cause severe burns and other injuries.

STATUS OF PRESSURE COOKER LAWSUITS: Product liability lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Instant Pot, Tristar Power Pressure Cookers, Crock Pot Multi-Cookers and other popular pressure cookers sold since about 2010, which have been linked to reports of:

• First, Second and Third Degree Burns
• Eye Injuries and Blindness
• Disfigurement and Permanent Scarring
• Other Injuries

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OVERVIEW: Pressure cookers have been used for generations to cook food under pressure, using steam or water-based fluids. The earliest designs were introduced in the 1600s, and stove-top pressure cookers gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. However, pressure cooking remained dangerous due to the risk of cooking hot contents under high pressure.

Following the introduction of Instant Pot and other “modern” pressure cookers over the past 10 years, a number of manufacturers have promoted these counter-top products with electric heating elements as “safe”, “easy” and “convenient”. Many of these modern pressure cookers also can be used as air fryers, slow cookers, rice cookers, egg cookers, canners and with other multi-cooking settings, but they continue to carry serious risks in the kitchen.

To address consumers concerns about pressure cooker explosions, advertisements highlight a number of safety features which are supposed to make the products “fool proof” and “automatic,” such as automatically locking lids, anti-block pressure release valves and controls that are supposed to prevent excessive pressure from building up. However, lawsuits allege these safety features were grossly exaggerated and are often defective, failing to prevent catastrophic pressure cooking injuries.

PRESSURE COOKER BURNS AND INJURIES: If a modern pressure cooker fails, the lid may explode off while the contents are still under high pressure. This can cause hot contents to forcefully blow up in the face of consumers, or spray scalding liquids in the kitchen.

While most reports of pressure cooking accidents involve individuals hurt when they mistakenly thought it was safe to remove the lid, some products were sold with defective components that failed to properly seal the lid or allowed excessive pressure to build up in the cooker.

According to allegations raised in lawsuits, pressure cooker lids should never be able to come off until all steam and pressure has been released. However, a number of safety features can fail and make a pressure cooker dangerous, including:

• Automated Pressure Control
• Lid Locks
• Pressure Release Valves
• Anti-Block Vents
• Pressure Lowering Features
• Automatic Shut-Off Temperature Controls

DEFECTIVE PRESSURE COOKERS: Problems have been linked to a number of products sold in recent years, which contained defective components or failed to include safer alternative designs that may have prevented a pressure cooking injury.

In November 2020, a Crock Pot pressure cooker recall was issued for nearly 1 million products sold throughout the United States, due to a risk it may continue to pressurize when the lid is not fully locked, causing the pressure cooker to explode and send scalding hot contents onto consumers. This action was taken after at least 99 reported injuries suffered by consumers.

A Sensio pressure cooker recall was announced in August 2023, affecting about 860,000 Bella, Crux and Cooks electronic and stove-top models. The pressure cookers, sold at major retailers such as Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s and Lowe’s, were recalled following at least 61 reported injuries linked to explosions when the lids were removed.

In October 2023, a Best Buy Insignia pressure cooker recall warned that about 930,000 devices may have incorrect volume markings, which can lead to overfilling, overpressurization, explosions and burn injuries. At least 17 such injuries have already been linked to the recalled appliances.

A number of other manufacturers have “silently” recalled pressure cookers, making design changes in response to reported problems. However, consumers who have the defective and dangerous pressure cookers still in their kitchens have never been informed about the changes or told not to use the products.

Consumers have reported problems with pressure cookers sold by a number of different companies under various brand names, including:

• Instant Pot
• Tristar Power Pressure Cooker
• Sunbeam Crock-Pot
• Ninja Foodi
• NuWave Nutri-Pot
• Cuisinart
• Kalorik
• Bella Cucina
• Cooks Essentials
• Elite Bistro
• Fagor
• Bregville
• Ultrex
• Prestige
• Ginny’s
• Philippe Richards
• Wolfgang Puck
• Mirro
• and Others

FIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY FOR A PRESSURE COOKER INJURY LAWSUIT: As a result of the manufacturers’ failures to design adequate safety features, pressure cooker injury lawyers are evaluating whether users may be entitled to compensation through an individual claim or class action lawsuits due to pressure cooker injuries.

To request a free consultation and claim evaluation to determine whether you, a friend or family member may be entitled to financial compensation through a lawsuit, submit information about a potential pressure cooker lawsuit for review by a lawyer.