Pressure cookers, a common kitchen appliance marketed for creating quick and healthy meals, seem to be a safe and easy way to cook.

However, several class action lawsuits have been filed against various companies alleging that these common devices are actually dangerous pieces of equipment. One plaintiff claims her Cuisinart high pressure cooker is capable of exploding and causing second-degree and third-degree degree burns to consumers, as well as causing property damage.

Overview of Pressure Cookers

Pressure cookers are a type of kitchen appliance similar to a crock pot. They function by boiling liquids and trapping the resulting steam inside of a sealed pot. The steam builds up and creates pressure, which causes the contents to heat to extreme temperatures very quickly.

Pressure cookers are marketed as being healthier than alternative cooking methods, because their tight seal is supposed to prevent vitamins and minerals from boiling away. However, when the product is defective, the same extreme pressure and heat that make pressure cookers desirable to consumers is also what several lawsuit allege make them extremely dangerous.

Pressure Cooker Lawsuits

Lawsuits dealing with pressure cooker explosions and injuries have been filed against several companies, including but not limited to: Cuisinart, Tristar, Wolfgang Puck and Maxi-Matic.

In a class action lawsuit filed against Cuisinart, plaintiff Shelly Wicklund recounts her experience using her Cuisinart high pressure cooker. Wicklund states that she did extensive research on different brands of pressure cookers before purchasing her Cuisinart high pressure cooker, and that her choice was predicated in part on the locking mechanism and apparent safety of that particular appliance.

In March 2016, Wicklund says she used her pressure cooker to make chili for her family. She alleges that she had followed the directions in her owner’s manual and had used the appliance successfully several times in the past. As such, she believed she had no reason to think that her Cuisinart high pressure cooker was unsafe.

When the appliance notified her that her chili had finished cooking, Wicklund began to open the lid. It was at this point Wicklund alleges that her Cuisinart high pressure cooker exploded.

Wicklund asserts that the explosion covered her upper body and face, as well as her kitchen, in scalding hot chili. Wicklund states that she suffered burns on her arms, neck, chest, and face. Wicklund’s lawsuit alleges that the locking safety mechanism on her Cuisinart pressure cooker was defective, as it should not have allowed her to open the appliance while the contents inside were still pressurized.

Other lawsuits regarding pressure cooker injuries cite numerous causes such as: explosions of the pot or lid, defective locking mechanisms, faulty valves, and airtight seals that prematurely disengage, causing consumers to suffer steam burns. These lawsuits seek monetary damages in compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and other damages.

If you have been injured or suffered other damages relating to a pressure cooker explosion or malfunction, you may have a legal claim. Filing a personal injury pressure cooker lawsuit or joining a class action pressure cooker lawsuit may aid you in recovering damages due to injury, medical expenses, pain and suffering, property damage, lost wages, and other damages.

Join a Free Pressure Cooker Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you experienced a pressure cooker explosion and were injured and/or suffered other damages, you may have a legal claim. Filing a personal injury pressure cooker lawsuit or joining a pressure cooker class action lawsuit could help you recover expenses related to medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, and more.

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