Several consumers have allegedly suffered serious burn injuries from a Cuisinart electric pressure cooker, according to a proposed class action lawsuit filed by a woman from South Dakota.

Plaintiff Shelly Wicklund has filed a proposed class action pressure cooker lawsuit against the appliance manufacturer in Connecticut federal court, seeking to represent herself and other consumers who allegedly sustained burns because of a failing locking mechanism. She alleges the locking mechanism on the lid of her Cuisinart electric pressure cooker had failed and caused hot chili to explode out of the product.

After she allegedly suffered serious injury from the hot food contents, she discovered other consumers had reported similar problems with the Cuisinart electric pressure cooker.

According to her pressure cooker class action lawsuit, Wicklund had suffered serious burns due to the Cuisinart electric pressure exploding. She claims the explosion occurred due to the lid locking failure of the pressurized CPC-600 serious Cuisinart electric pressure cooker. Cuisinart allegedly warranted that the locking mechanism would prevent such accidents from occurring, she claims.

Pressure cookers work by trapping steam inside a sealed chamber, which increases the internal pressure of the device by 15 pounds per square inch. The rising pressure eventually increases the temperatureto 250 ℉, which causes the food to quickly cook.

If the locking mechanism of pressure cooker lids fail to lock or unlock when they should, the user is put at serious risk for burn injuries.

Overview of Pressure Cooker Lawsuit

Wicklund stated that she had purchased her Cuisinart electric pressure cooker in December 2015. She says the documentation that came with the cooker said the lid consisted of a double locking mechanism that would prevent pressure from building up while the lid was unlocked, and that it would prevent the lid from unlocking until the device is depressurized.

However, this mechanism allegedly failed in March 2016 when she was making chili in her Cuisinart electric pressure cooker,

The cooker allegedly signaled that the food was finished cooking and that she could safely open the lid. At this point, Wicklund says she had no reason to believe she was at risk for any potential explosions, having used the product several times before without incident. But this time, she claims the device was still pressurized and caused scalding hot food to spill all over her and caused serious burns on her arms, neck, chest, and face.

Wicklund stated that this occurred due to failure of the locking mechanism. She attributes the failure to metal parts of the device that are supposedly too flexible. In addition, there was a plastic pin that could easily be broken with the lid rotates under normal force, she claims.

“The defect allows the lid locking safety feature of the pressure cooker to be easily overcome, allowing the lid to be rotated and removed when there is still pressure inside the unit. [A]dditionally, upon information and belief, the pressure cooker is able to be fully pressurized without the lid being securely attached and can result in the lid explosively separating from the pressure cooker unexpectedly,” Wicklund stated.

Wicklund asserts that Cuisinart is aware of the alleged defects with their product’s locking mechanism due to negative online reviews, but has not taken any corrective action.

This Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker Class Action Lawsuit is Wicklund  v. Cuisinart Inc., Case No. 3:18-cv-01284, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

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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