Maryland Injury Law Center
Pressure cookers have been causing devastating harm to their users. This has led to defective pressure cooker injury lawsuits. Our lawyers are handling pressure cooker injury claims not only in Maryland but around the country.
With over 53 million Americans owning some brand of a pressure cooker, the safety of the cookers is a huge concern. It is an incredibly flexible weapon in cooking. But the rush to grab profits in this competitive market has led some manufacturers to cut corners. Since 2006, many different brands of pressure cookers have been recalled for many reasons regarding their safety. The impact of these recalls and the harm pressure cookers are causing is concerning. Defective pressure cookers too often lead to serious and avoidable injuries.
Call us at 800-883-8082 or get a free consultation online if you believe you may have a viable pressure cooker lawsuit.
Pressure Cooker Update – December 2024
The most recent pressure cooker product liability lawsuit was filed in the first week of December 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The pressure cooker at issue in the case is the Crock-Pot Express Crock Multicooker. The lawsuit alleges that the device had a defect that allowed the lid to become unsealed while the pot was still pressurized. This particular Crock-Pot Express device was actually subject to a CPSC recall in November 2022 based on prior incidents and injuries.
Pressure cooker lawsuits continue to be filed around the country. There is no class action lawsuit or MDL for injury claim. These cases are being handled individually.
What is a “Pressure Cooker”?
Pressure cookers (which include brand names such as Instant Pot and Crockpot) are branded constantly via commercials, magazines, and online ads, anywhere from Alcan Pressure Cookers to Wolfgang Puck Worldwide Cookers. These variously sized cooking machines have taken over the kitchen supply industry.
One uses a pressure cooker to shorten the time frame needed to prepare meals whilst also allowing for the perfect flavor and ingredient combination. A meal that would normally take an hour would only take around half that time with a Pressure Cooker.
Pressure cookers use hot steam that is pressurized inside of their pots to cook a variety of foods anywhere from soups to roasts. The use of pressurized hot steam makes for faster cooking times while keeping the food hydrated and tender. Famous for this quick-cooking, these pots come with a huge selection of cooking uses and can be a great addition to any kitchen. Yet not everyone has the same taste-pleasuring and instantly prepared experience of using pressure cookers.
How Should Pressure Cookers Work?
Electric pressure cookers work by producing hot steam by applying strong heat directly to the liquid contents of the cooking pot (e.g., broth or water). When the heat is applied, the pot section of a pressure cooker should have an airtight seal, allowing it to function as a pressure chamber. The steam created from the applied heat to the liquid contents rapidly raises both the internal air pressure of the pot, the air temperature inside the pot and thus the food inside the pot. This enables the temperature within the pot to quickly climb over the regular boiling point reaching temperatures exceeding 200°F.
Recalled Pressure Cooker Details
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) there has been a pressure cooker recall on pots made with faulty gaskets which allow for accidental explosions, poor insulation of the pot’s materials leading to electric shocks, and faulty pot seals which allow for content spills, all while pressure and temperature are extremely high.
All these issues stem from a lack of properly installed and necessary safety features. Whether used improperly or made incorrectly, pressure cookers have been causing serious injury to their users by permanently impacting their quality of life.
Some Recalled Pressure Cookers
| Date | Brand/Model | Units Affected | Hazard Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 14, 2006 | Welbilt Pressure Cookers | 900 | Lid opening prematurely while contents are still heated and under pressure. |
| November 30, 2006 | Ultrex-brand Pressure Cookers | 1,450 | Lids opening while contents are still under pressure. |
| December 21, 2007 | Various Pressure Cookers | 38,250 | Improperly closed lids allowing hot contents to spill out. |
| July 15, 2015 | Instant Pot “Smart” and “Smart-60” | 1,140 | Faulty wiring causing electric shock to consumers. |
| December 22, 2015 | Breville Fast Slow Cookers | 35,000 | Incorrectly inserted sealing gaskets allowing unexpected release of pressure build-up. |
| August 2, 2018 | Nutrex Pressure Cookers | 700 | Steam discharge at low pressure resulting in burns. |
| August 10, 2023 | Bella, Bella Pro Series, Cooks, Crux | 860,000 | Lids can unlock and be removed during use, causing hot contents to unexpectedly splash out, posing burn hazards. |
| October 26, 2023 | Insignia Multi-Function Pressure Cookers | 930,000 | Incorrect volume markings leading to overfilling, causing hot food and liquids to be ejected when vented or opened under pressure, posing burn hazards. |
This does not serve as a comprehensive list of all recalled pressure cookers. It serves as an example of the types of issues found regarding pressure cooker recalls. If your pressure cooker is not listed above, this does not mean you do not have a viable claim. In fact, some of the most dangerous pressure cookers that are not on this list should be on this list.
Additional Pressure Cookers with defects and or recalls include:
- Tristar Power Pressure Cooker
- Gourmia Express Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
- Crock-Pot Express Multi-Cooker
- Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
Pressure Cooker Injuries
The injuries sustained from these cookers are due to the extremely hot contents exploding or spilling onto their users and faulty wire installation and covering. Injuries sustained include
- Burns: (first, second, and third-degree) – because of extremely hot contents of Pressure cookers exploding onto users
- Infections: due to the susceptible nature of burned skin, hair, and other body parts
- Amputations: because of serious infections because of burns and infections
- Blindness: due to hot contents having direct contact with eyes
The most common of these injuries are second-degree burns which can lead to infection and amputation.
Estimated Settled Value of Pressure Cooker Injury Cases
The potential settlement value for a pressure cooker injury lawsuit depends largely on the extent and severity of the injuries allegedly caused by the product. Burn injuries are the most common type of harm reported in Instant Pot pressure cooker explosion cases. The settlement value of these injuries varies based on factors like the severity and location of the burn.
Instant Pot lawsuits involving third-degree burns could have settlement values ranging from $125,000 to $950,000. Such cases are rare. More common first- and second-degree burns are estimated to have settlement values between $40,000 and $150,000.
Pressure Cooker Lawsuits Have Been Filed
Many personal injury lawsuits have been filed against pressure cooker manufacturers by users who have been seriously injured by one of the devices.
- November 2024: A woman in Chicago filed a lawsuit claiming that her 6Q Nutri-Pot Digital Pressure Cooker had a defect that allowed the lid of the device to rotate and become unsealed while under pressure. The plaintiff suffered severe burn injuries.
- September 2024: a Texas woman is suing both Midea America Corp. and Amazon for injuries she allegedly sustained as a result of her Instant Pot Duo malfunctioning and sending scalding hot liquid spraying onto her.
- June 2024: A New Jersey woman filed a lawsuit claiming that she sustained serious burn injuries when the lid on her Ninja brand pressure cooker came unsealed while under pressure.
- January 2024: A pressure cooker product liability lawsuit was filed in Indiana by a man who alleges that his Instant Pot Duo Nova pressure cooker exploded. According to the lawsuit, the built-in safety features failed to prevent the lid from being accidentally removed while the contents were still under pressure. As a result, the man sustained serious burn injuries to his face.
Anyone who has experienced serious injuries as a direct result of recalled or defective pressure cookers (whether by faulty wiring or seals) may be entitled to compensation.
Hiring a Lawyer for Your Pressure Cooker Lawsuit
Our personal injury attorneys are presently accepting new cases from anyone who has been severely burned or wounded due to a faulty pressure cooker device. Instant pressure cooker users who were burned or injured may be entitled to financial compensation. To learn if you can file a defective pressure cooker lawsuit, call us at 800-883-8082 or get a free consultation online.