Walmart Grill Brush Lawsuit

Walmart recalled 4,477,655 Expert Grill wire-bristle grill brushes and tool sets because individual metal wires can detach from the brush head and stick to a grill surface or food.

The CPSC identified an ingestion hazard: loose bristles may contaminate food and cause internal injuries requiring surgery.

The recall, issued October 1, 2026, is identified as Recall No. 27-010 in the federal notice.

According to the official Walmart Expert Grill recall, the affected products were imported by Walmart, manufactured in China, and sold through Walmart stores and Walmart.com for approximately $1 to $28.

The affected products were sold between January 2021 and August 2026, with different sales periods for each model.

The recall includes four individual grill brushes and a 10-piece barbecue tool set containing a wire-bristle brush.

The five recalled Expert Grill products are:

• EX5607031616002: Expert Grill 16-inch Steel Fiber Scrub Brush and Scraper for Grills, distributed January 2025 through August 2026.
• EX5607031616003: Expert Grill Handheld Steel Fiber Scrub Brush with Ergonomic Handle for Grill Cleaning, distributed January 2025 through August 2026.
• XG1310700206: Expert Grill 21-inch 3-Head Grill Brush with Stainless Steel Bristles and Soft-Grip Handle, distributed January 2022 through August 2026.
• XG1136178597003: Expert Grill Long Handle Grill Brush with Scraper, 17.7 inches, distributed January 2021 through August 2026.
• XG1410700124: Expert Grill Grilling Accessories BBQ Grill Tools Set, 10-Piece Stainless Steel Grill Kit, distributed December 2023 through August 2026.

These model numbers and distribution dates come from the CPSC recall listing.

How to Identify a Recalled Expert Grill Brush

The affected products have black plastic or stainless-steel handles, and some include metal scrapers.

The model number may appear on the original packaging or a sticker or tag attached to the brush.

Walmart purchase records, photographs, or a product listing may also help identify a brush when the packaging is missing.

Consumers should compare the exact model number against the federal recall rather than assume that every product carrying the Expert Grill name has been recalled.

The 10-piece grilling kit is included because it contains an affected brush, even though the kit also includes other barbecue accessories.

Immediately stop using an affected Expert Grill wire brush.

A recalled brush may shed metal bristles even when it appears undamaged, so consumers should not continue using it to clean their grills.

The CPSC advises consumers to contact Walmart for a full refund or a credit for purchases at Walmart stores or Walmart.com.

Walmart may instruct customers to return the recalled brush or discard it as part of the remedy process.

For current instructions, use Walmart’s official recall information or review the federal recall notice.

If you have not suffered an injury, the recommended steps are:

1. Stop using the brush and keep it away from the grill.
2. Check its model number against the CPSC recall list.
3. Inspect the grill grates for detached wires and clean them with a method appropriate for the grill before cooking again.
4. Contact Walmart and follow the current refund or store-credit instructions.
5. Choose a non-wire cleaning method appropriate for the grill’s cooking surface.

If an injury may have occurred, do not discard or alter the brush before getting legal advice.

Preserve the brush, any detached metal bristles, packaging, purchase records, and photographs while keeping the product out of use.

A product refund addresses the recalled brush’s purchase price, not medical expenses or other losses arising from an injury.

Wire grill brushes are used to scrape grease and food residue from cooking grates.

As bristles weaken or break during cleaning, the small wires can remain on the grate and stick to a burger, vegetables, or other food placed on the grill afterward.

The person eating the food may swallow the fragment without seeing or feeling it.

Because the wire is thin and pointed, it may lodge in soft tissue or penetrate the wall of the digestive tract.

A bristle stuck in the tongue or throat can cause painful swallowing, while one that travels farther may puncture the stomach or intestine and cause inflammation, infection, or bleeding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documented patients whose swallowed grill brush bristles became lodged in the neck or perforated the intestine.

Those medical cases demonstrate the hazard associated with wire brushes generally; they were not identified as injuries caused by recalled Walmart Expert Grill models.

Symptoms of Swallowing a Wire Grill Brush Bristle

Symptoms depend on where the metal fragment becomes lodged and whether it has damaged surrounding tissue.

Warning signs may include:

• Sharp pain in the mouth, throat, neck, or chest.
• Pain or difficulty when swallowing.
• A sensation that something is stuck in the throat.
• Persistent or worsening abdominal pain.
• Nausea, vomiting, or fever.
• Blood in vomit or stool.
• Signs of infection following an internal puncture.

Someone with these symptoms after eating grilled food should seek prompt medical attention and tell the treating clinician about possible wire-bristle exposure.

Sharp-object ingestion can require urgent medical assessment even when symptoms initially seem mild.

How Are Swallowed Grill Brush Bristles Diagnosed and Removed?

Doctors may use X-rays or a CT scan to look for a suspected bristle and assess internal injuries.

Depending on where the wire is lodged, removal may involve laryngoscopy, endoscopy, or surgery.

Small bristles can be difficult to detect even with imaging, so telling a clinician about food prepared on a wire-brush-cleaned grill can help guide evaluation and treatment.

The CDC documented cases treated by removal through the throat or digestive tract, as well as emergency abdominal surgery when a wire perforated the intestine.

Not every swallowed bristle requires surgery, and treatment depends on its location, the resulting damage, and the patient’s condition.

A June 2026 report from CBS Minnesota described a teenager who developed worsening abdominal pain several days after eating a burger cooked on his family’s grill.

A CT scan revealed a wire bristle lodged in his bowel and beginning to puncture the intestine.

He underwent emergency surgery, but the report did not identify a Walmart Expert Grill brush as the source of the bristle.

An ingested grill-brush wire can cause more than a superficial injury to the mouth or throat.

Depending on where it lodges or travels, an ingested bristle may produce punctures, perforations, abscesses, or injuries to nearby structures.

Possible injuries include:

• Puncture wounds to the tongue, mouth, or throat.
• Injury to the esophagus or painful swallowing.
• Stomach or intestinal perforation.
• Abdominal infection or abscess formation.
• Internal bleeding or damage to surrounding tissues.
• Complications requiring hospitalization, endoscopy, or surgery.

A 2016 study published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery estimated 1,698 U.S. emergency department visits involving wire-bristle grill brush injuries from 2002 through 2014, based on a national injury surveillance database.

That figure is a historical national estimate involving grill brush injuries generally, not the number of injuries associated with Walmart’s 2026 recall.

The consequences of a wire-bristle injury may also include missed work, follow-up treatment, lasting gastrointestinal problems, or other documented losses.

Yes.

Several manufacturers announced large recalls in 2026 after identifying the risk of metal bristles detaching and contaminating food.

In February, Weber recalled approximately 3.2 million brushes after reports of bristles detaching, including four consumers who swallowed metal wires and sought treatment.

In March, Nexgrill recalled approximately 10.2 million brushes, with five reported cases in which consumers swallowed detached bristles and sought medical attention.

Conair’s 2026 Cuisinart recalls ultimately covered approximately 3.63 million brushes, including three reported consumers who swallowed bristles and sought medical care.

Some recalled Cuisinart grill brushes were sold through retailers such as TJ Maxx and Walmart, but they were separate products from the recalled Expert Grill brushes.

TorHoerman Law has separate information about Weber grill brush lawsuits, Nexgrill brush lawsuits, and Cuisinart grill brush lawsuits.

The reports associated with those brands are not reports of injuries caused by Walmart Expert Grill brushes.

A person may have a potential product liability claim if a metal bristle from a Walmart Expert Grill brush contaminated food and caused a physical injury.

The person who swallowed the bristle does not have to be the same person who bought or used the brush.

A family member or guest who swallowed a bristle in food prepared on the grill may also have legal options, depending on the evidence and applicable law.

Relevant considerations include:

• Whether the brush was a recalled Expert Grill model or another identifiable Walmart grill brush.
• Whether a bristle detached from the brush and entered food or otherwise caused an injury.
• Whether medical evaluation identified a metal fragment or injuries consistent with ingestion.
• Whether the person required emergency care, imaging, endoscopy, surgery, or other treatment.
• Whether the product, detached wire, photographs, purchase records, or witness information remain available.
• Whether the claim is within the filing deadline under applicable state law.

The CPSC recall does not automatically create a personal injury claim for everyone who purchased a brush.

A claim requires evidence connecting the product and alleged defect or wrongful conduct to the person’s injury.

Connecting a small metal fragment to a particular grill brush can be difficult, especially when the brush was shared, discarded, or used to clean a grill over an extended period.

An injured consumer should preserve the available materials without attempting to recreate the incident or use the brush again.

Potentially useful evidence includes:

• The recalled Expert Grill brush, its model number, packaging, and any loose or missing bristles.
• A detached wire recovered from food, the grill, or during medical treatment, if available.
• Walmart receipts, online order history, or other proof identifying the product.
• Photos of the brush, grill surface, food, and surrounding area.
• Hospital records, imaging reports, endoscopy findings, and surgical notes.
• Photographs or records of the removed foreign object when available.
• Witness accounts, medical bills, and documentation of missed work or other losses.

If the wire was removed during treatment, medical records documenting its appearance and location may be important even when the object itself is unavailable.

Our guide to evidence in personal injury claims explains how physical objects, medical records, and witness statements may be used to evaluate a claim.

The CPSC identifies Walmart, Inc. as the importer of the recalled Expert Grill brushes.

Depending on the product’s design and distribution history, the applicable law, and the facts of an injury, potential claims could involve an importer, manufacturer, distributor, or seller.

A product liability lawsuit may allege a design defect, manufacturing defect, inadequate warning, or another legally recognized basis for liability.

The recall does not, by itself, prove negligence or establish that a particular Expert Grill brush caused an individual injury.

An attorney may need to examine the brush and other evidence to determine whether a bristle detached from that product and caused the reported harm.

A person injured by a swallowed metal bristle may seek financial compensation if the evidence establishes a valid claim under the applicable state’s law.

The amount available depends on the injury, its effect on the person’s health and employment, and the evidence supporting liability.

Potential damages may include:

• Medical expenses for emergency treatment, diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, or surgery.
• Hospitalization, medication, and follow-up treatment costs.
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity.
• Physical pain, emotional distress, and other compensable non-economic harm.
• Lasting physical impairment or other documented losses.
• Wrongful death damages in a fatal case, where permitted by law.

A perforated intestine requiring emergency surgery may result in different losses than a bristle removed without lasting complications.

There is no established Walmart Expert Grill brush injury settlement amount, and no settlement or jury award is guaranteed.

For additional information, see TorHoerman Law’s personal injury damages guide.

Walmart’s October 2026 recall covers approximately 4.48 million Expert Grill wire brushes because of the risk that detached metal bristles can contaminate food and cause internal injuries.

Although Walmart had reported no related injuries when the recall was announced, medical research and other manufacturers’ recalls document the serious harm that swallowing a wire bristle can cause.

TorHoerman Law is reviewing potential claims involving recalled Expert Grill brushes and other wire-bristle grill-cleaning products.

Our law firm can evaluate the brush involved, available medical records, evidence of ingestion, and the circumstances connecting the product to an injury.

If you or a loved one suffered an injury after swallowing a metal grill brush bristle, contact TorHoerman Law for a free consultation.

You can also use the chat feature on this page to request a free case review.