Exploding Pressure Cooker Results in Serious Burn Injuries and Lawsuit
A case was filed in late December 2020 in the United States District Court in Georgia related to severe injuries the plaintiff sustained from an exploding pressure cooker. The complaint alleges that a “Breville Fast-Slow Pro Pressure Cooker,” manufactured by Breville USA, Inc., had a defective “safety locking lid” that allowed the lid to come open even when under high cooking pressure, allowing the scalding hot contents to spray out and seriously injure the plaintiff.
This was hardly the first lawsuit of its type that had been filed related to the defects in this specific model of “Breville Fast Slow Cookers” — the first injuries from the use of this pressure cooker had come to light more than five years earlier. A recall was ordered in December 2015 of more than 35,000 units of the cooker. As noted in the recall, this particular model had been sold through numerous large retailers, including Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, and Sur la Table, online through Amazon, and through direct sales from Breville USA.
Nature of the Problem
Pressure cookers pose an obvious danger due to the very method they are designed to cook food – by bringing the food under high heat and pressure — to speed the cooking process. The cookers are designed with locking mechanisms that, in theory, make it impossible for the lids to come open easily once the contents of the cooker are under pressure. Some will have external clamps to seal the lid, while others will have locking rings built into the lid that seal it down as the lid is twisted into place.
There is usually a flexible, rubberized gasket between the lid and the body of the cooker that provides an airtight seal – even under high pressure – when the lid is properly locked in place. Some of these seals are designed to be removable to facilitate cleaning. Unfortunately, the design of the gasket for this model of Breville pressure cooker allowed it to be inserted upside down into the lid. In that position, it would not securely lock the lid in place. In this situation, even a modest amount of pressure on the outside of the lid could cause it to burst open, spraying the hot contents on anyone using the cooker, resulting in a severe burn injury.
In addition to the defective gasket, the recall notice for this Breville “Fast-Slow Cooker” indicated that updated instructions for using the product had to be provided.
Who Is Liable for Injuries Caused by Defective Products?
Many different people and companies may be liable for injuries caused by defective products. The specific possibilities for defendants in products liability cases will depend upon the “venue” or the court jurisdiction in which a lawsuit is filed. California is relatively generous in extending possible liability to product designers, manufacturers, retailers, suppliers of parts for the products, and even others. Specifically, who to name as a defendant in a products liability case is also a question of strategy. This strategy can include which defendants proof is readily available to establish liability, which defendants have adequate insurance coverage and assets to satisfy a settlement or verdict, and other factors.
For the case filed recently in U.S. District Court in Georgia, the named defendants included Breville USA and its parent corporation in Australia. Others who could have also been named would include the factory in China that manufactured the product and the retailer from whom the pressure cooker was purchased.
What is the Basis for Liability in Defective Product Cases?
When a claim is brought, or a lawsuit filed for a defective product such as the Breville pressure cookers, different theories of legal liability may come into play. Among these bases for liability would be ordinary negligence – similar to the negligence shown by an inattentive driver who causes a car accident. Those who played a part in the design, manufacture, and sale of the defective product simply didn’t do an adequate job of assuring that the product was safe for use.
Another basis would be a breach of warranty, where a defendant has warranted explicitly or implicitly that the product is safe and in good working order to perform its intended function. Many product defect cases, however, are also founded on the theory of “strict liability.” Strict liability laws say that a defendant is liable even if they did take reasonable steps to ensure that the product was safe. The simple fact that the product was inherently defective and that it did cause an injury is all the proof necessary to establish strict liability – it is not necessary to prove that the defendants were actually negligent in their actions. Strict liability is especially relevant for inherently dangerous products, such as automobiles and the “ticking time bomb” of a pressure cooker.
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Sacramento Personal Injury Attorneys
Hello – I’m Ed Smith, an experienced personal injury attorney in Sacramento. When a defective product like a pressure cooker causes serious injuries or even death, it’s crucial that the injured parties seek experienced legal counsel. If you are looking for free and friendly advice related to a personal injury claim, please call (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 to speak with our injury lawyers. Or you can also use our online form.
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