Many people are buying into the idea of cooking their food and eating healthy, and that encourages them to bring home a pressure cooker. Once you buy one, it’s natural to get excited, as you can cook all your best recipes. But you must look into the pressure cooker accidents that have taken place in recent times, leading to fatal injuries.
There have been several lawsuits filed in the United States alleging that pressure cookers with faulty designs similar to Instant Pot, caused fatal injuries. In most explosions, the lid of the cooker remained wide open, which resulted in scald injuries and severe burns.
There have been rare instances where the pot exploded when people attempted to take the lid off. All these explosions can make the food spray on your face, especially if you are nearby. The injuries range from first-to third-degree burns. A blocked vent can also lead to an explosion and injure people.
In this article, we will discuss the various types of pressure cooker accident injuries and how victims can file a lawsuit to seek compensation.
Different Types of Pressure Cooker Explosion Injuries
Modern-day electronic pressure cookers similar to the Instant Pot can explode. Even though such appliances were promoted for their advanced features to prevent explosions, there have been incidents where the cookers failed to live up to such tall promises.
In December 2023, AboutLawsuits.com shared the story of Venessa Loftis, who bought the Instant Pot DUO 8-quart cooker and faced an accident. The appliance didn’t have the required safety features to prevent the lid from getting removed until internal pressure was released from inside it. Today she has filed a lawsuit and is seeking compensation for the injuries she suffered because of the Instant Pot explosion.
The various types of injuries caused by such pressure cooker accidents are:
Burn Injuries
Pressure cooker explosions result in dangerous third-degree burns. The appliances work by capturing the steam within as a cooking procedure. It enables you to cook your food faster. When the pressure contained in the cooker increases, there is a risk of a fatal explosion.
Thus, hot steam and liquid can be released forcefully when the cooker explodes, causing extreme burns. It can affect various skin layers and lead to:
- Scarring
- Blistering
- Acute pain
The burns can even lead to a permanent disability or disfigurement. As a treatment, the victims might need skin grafting to heal the affected area.
Blast Injuries
The force with which a pressure cooker blast occurs can cause severe injuries. That aside, it can also lead to property damage. Some of the common injuries in this category are:
- Eye injuries: The flying debris from the blast can injure your eye, leading to blindness.
- Shattered bones: It is possible for the blast to fracture bones, thereby leading to acute pain and permanent complications.
- Traumatic brain injuries: The blast force can lead to traumatic brain injuries and concussions. As a result, it can make the victims suffer from long-term impairments and cognitive challenges.
- Burns: The extreme steam and heat generated by the pressure cooker explosion can lead to severe burns, causing permanent scars.
Shrapnel Injuries
When an Instant Pot or pressure cooker explodes, sharp metal fragments fly in every direction. It is called shrapnel and can result in painful injuries to anyone close by. Typically, this explosion occurs because of problems related to increased pressure and a faulty gasket in the appliance.
The explosion force can make the shrapnel move at a high speed, thereby causing lacerations, puncture wounds, and deep cuts. It can also lead to internal injuries, such as internal bleeding and organ damage.
Victims who suffer from this injury often have to pay costly medical bills, and they can make use of any financial assistance granted to them.
Navigating the Legal Path
Over the years, users have filed lawsuits for the pressure cooker accidents that they have faced. Hence, the legal cases today are in different phases of litigation. A few have been settled, while lawyers are accepting other complaints
as well. Therefore, if you have suffered from extreme burns because of a pressure cooker’s faulty design, you can file a lawsuit and seek compensation for the damages you’ve experienced.
TorHoerman Law states that walking the legal path alone might prove to be challenging for a layperson. Hence, it is necessary to get in touch with a lawyer and share the evidence of the explosion with them so that they can build a compelling case. The lawyers will present the case on your behalf and ensure that you get fair compensation to recover your economic and non-economic damages.
In conclusion, the last thing a homeowner would want is to face a devastating pressure cooker explosion. The injuries caused by these accidents are fatal and can cost you your life. Therefore, it is necessary to check the design of the pressure cooker carefully before you buy one. And if you have faced an explosion, despite all inspections, you should seek both medical and legal help.
