What To Do After Your Electric Pressure Cooker Explodes
It can be difficult to determine the right courses of action after the explosion of pressure cookers.
In representing those who wish to file Pressure Cooker Lawsuits, we believe that your number one priority should be physical recovery.
After a pressure cooker explosion, receiving immediate medical attention is crucial.
You are also encouraged to gather and retain crucial evidence and contact an experienced Pressure Cooker Lawyer for a consultation.
Get Medical Attention
The first thing you must do is seek medical care.
Getting immediate medical attention is especially critical if you have sustained substantial burn injuries.
By seeing a physician, you will receive the care you need — care that will be essential in your physical recovery.
The care you receive may differ from that of other pressure cooker explosion victims. If you’ve sustained extensive thermal burn injuries like third-degree burns, you may require skin grafting or surgery.
At the very least, expect to receive burn care and intravenous hydration to offset fluid shifting in the skin and tissues.
If you have sustained both burns and cuts from an exploding pressure cooker, you might also receive antibiotics to prevent infections in the wounds.
Gather and Retain Evidence
After recovering from your pressure cooker injuries, you must take the first steps in holding pressure cooker manufacturers responsible.
This involves filing a lawsuit, but you will need evidence before you can do this.
When gathering evidence, you must take photos or videos of your defective pressure cooker.
Make sure that you take a photo or video of the brand. This will come in handy later as we determine who to litigate for a pressure cooker settlement.
Take photos and videos of your injuries and the area in which your pressure cooker exploded.
Be sure to get clear photos and videos of your burns and lacerations as well as any property damage that was caused by the Instant Pot exploding.
Most importantly, hold on to all medical records and bills before you file your case.
Your medical records will state your injuries and how severe they are.
Medical records are also an indubitable form of proof since they’re signed and issued by licensed physicians.
Your medical bills will be essential in helping our lawyers determine how much your Instant Pot lawsuit will be worth.
In short, gather and retain the following pieces of evidence as you make your claim:
- Photos and videos showing your defective pressure cooker and its brand
- Photos and videos of your injuries and property damage
- Receipts of purchase
- Medical records showing your injuries
- Photographic evidence showing which parts potentially caused the explosion
- Any medical bills you have incurred during recovery
Once you have all these, you can move on to the most important step — getting legal representation in your pressure cooker lawsuit.
Contact TorHoerman Law for Info on Instant Pot Lawsuits
Getting the best legal representation for your case is critical to its success.
With us in your corner, we can establish the negligence of pressure cooker manufacturers and link how their negligence or defects in their products caused your injuries.
We will also negotiate and advocate for the maximum pressure cooker lawsuit settlement on your behalf.
Pressure Cooker Brands That Have Recalled Their Products
As more pressure cooker explosions take place, companies have been forced to recall any products showing defects.
To date, several companies have recalled different models of electric pressure cookers and stovetop pressure cookers.
Below are some of the most notable product recalls that have been recorded over the last decade.
Instant Brands
Instant Brands recalled its first products in 2015.
However, it ramped up its product recalls in 2018 after several models of its iconic Instant Pot injured more than 80 people.
Instant Brands has recalled various Instant Pot pressure cookers, including units of its traditional pressure cooker.
The company has taken the products off shelves in response to allegations of defective Instant Pot safety features and to minimize the chances of lawsuits.
The following Instant Pot Pressure Cookers have faced recalls:
- Instant Pot Duo
- Instant Pot Lux
- Instant Pot Viva
- Instant Pot Ultra
If an Instant Pot model you own has been included in a recall, stop using it immediately.
Crock Pot
In 2020, Crock Pot decided to recall nearly a million of its pressure cookers due to issues with the lid lock.
According to Consumer Notice, the defective pressure cookers from Crock Pot offered little to no excess pressure protection.
The cookers built up pressure even when the user didn’t secure the lid lock mechanism.
Breville
Instant Brands isn’t the only appliance giant to recall its defective pressure cookers.
In 2015 Breville recalled roughly 35,000 pressure cookers.
The company recalled its popular Slow Fast Cooker because of defects in the sealing gaskets.
Potential Injuries From Instant Pot Accidents
Instant Pot explosions can result in damage to anything within the immediate radius of the appliance.
Exploding Instant Pots can cause severe burns and other injuries from flying debris like the pressure cooker’s lid, metal parts, broken glass, and hot food.
Contact us immediately if you have sustained any of the injuries listed below following an Instant Pot explosion.
Severe Burns
Pressure cooker explosions can cause second to third-degree burns.
These serious burn injuries involve the deeper layers of the skin and will require extensive burn care.
In the case of third-degree burns, victims may require skin grafting or surgery.
Cuts and Bruises
Flying debris like the pressure cooker’s lid and the contents of the inner pot can cause serious injury to everyone in the room.
In the case of an Instant Pot blowout, some of the debris may be shrapnel, which can cause cuts.
Other debris may lead to bruising upon impact.
Injuries to the Eyes
Debris may also hit the facial area, causing serious injuries to various organs including the eyes.
Eye injuries from an Instant Pot accident can eventually lead to blindness if left untreated.
Hearing Loss
When pressure cookers explode, the explosion creates a loud bang that echoes throughout the home or kitchen.
As a result, those nearby may experience tinnitus or ringing of the ears. In the worst-case scenario, victims may lose their hearing.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Instant Pot explosions don’t just injure people.
The accident can cause victims to develop recurrent flashbacks of the event.
This is the case for victims who develop PTSD after their electric pressure cookers explode.
Potential Treatments for Serious Injuries From Exploding Pressure Cookers
Explosions from modern pressure cookers can be so catastrophic that almost all victims will require some form of medical treatment.
If you’ve sustained serious injuries from a defective pressure cooker, here are some of the potential treatments you might receive.
Burn Care
You will receive burn care as soon as you enter the emergency room, Burn care involves cleaning the burned parts of your body to stave off infection.
Physicians will manage your pain with painkillers.
However, for more serious burns like third-degree burns, opioid medications may be necessary.
Burns are skin openings that may be potential entry points for bacteria.
To prevent infection, physicians will also start you off on antibiotics.
Hydration
Your body fluids may shift after you’ve sustained burns.
For this reason, the health team will start you off on intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration.
Hospitals will have slightly different protocols.
For the most part, expect to receive IV solutions like lactated Ringer’s solution.
Skin Grafting
Skin grafting is a procedure that’s necessary for third-degree burns.
The procedure involves taking skin from a healthy part of your body and placing it on a burned surface.
Think of it as a skin transplant.
Over time, the healthy skin enables the burned area to recover.
The skin also recovers in a way that the burned area isn’t obvious.
Physical Therapy
In some cases, the burns and other injuries will be so extensive that you may need physical therapy.
Physical therapy enables you to regain the mobility you may have lost while you were recovering.
Therapy will consist of assisted exercises that will help rebuild muscle and improve coordination.
Why Does an Instant Pot Explode?
Instant Pot explosions happen for a variety of reasons.
For the most part, explosions occur due to defects in Instant Pot safety features.
A pressure cooker can explode because of a problem with the automatic temperature control.
The automatic temperature control regulates the heat that builds up inside the Instant Pot.
When it malfunctions, the internal temperature can soar and cause pressure to build up.
Any excess pressure can cause the pressure cooker to explode.
A faulty automatic pressure control mechanism may also be the cause of a pressure cooker explosion.
The automatic pressure control keeps the pressure within the ideal range.
However, when this safety mechanism malfunctions, excess pressure builds to the point that the pressure cooker explodes.
Defects in other safety mechanisms can cause an Instant Pot explosion.
An example of this is in Crock Pot’s pressure cookers, where the explosions happened because of defective safety valves and lid lock mechanisms.
A safety valve helps avoid Instant Pot explosions by preventing an Instant Pot from reaching high temperatures and pressures.
The safety valve lifts whenever excess pressure builds in the inner pot, releasing steam and pressure.
When a safety valve malfunction occurs, the results can be catastrophic.
Pressure and steam can accumulate uncontrollably, causing the pressure cooker to explode.
TorHoerman Law: Your Instant Pot Lawyers
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries or severe burns after your pressure cooker exploded, you may be eligible to file a Pressure Cooker Lawsuit against the manufacturer.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation case consultation.
You can also use our chatbot to receive a free, instant online case evaluation and find out if you qualify for a Defective Pressure Cooker Lawsuit today.
TorHoerman Law has a team of experienced product liability attorneys ready to serve you.
To date, our firm has won more than $4 billion in verdicts and negotiated settlements for our clients.
We operate on a contingency fee basis, so we are always committed to getting the best results possible for our clients.
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