Pressure cookers, for the most part, are miraculous machines. They deliver on the promise to reduce hours of labor that is traditionally needed for each homemade meal. As the pace of each day seems to quicken, our technology attempts to squeeze every excess second out of the arduous, mundane activities we must do to survive.

If you are unfamiliar, a pressure cooker is like a crockpot that holds in the heat and steam created to cook food faster and at an even temperature. Cooking temperatures in these pressure cookers can exceed 250 degrees and build up to 15 pounds of pressure per square inch (psi). Instead of a two, three or four hour cook time, some pressure cooker recipes promise to get the job done in 20 minutes or less with minimal prep work and clean up. While this may not be important to some of you, you don’t have the attention span of a goldfish or the culinary skills of an Ikea desk lamp like I do. And for the millions that feel the same way as me, a pressure cooker is an exquisite piece of machinery that can revolutionize the way you cook.

Are pressure cookers helpful or harmful?

But similar to Uber’s autonomous vehicles or JUUL’s “safer” electronic smoking alternative, these technologies can have deadly strings attached that consumers may be completely unaware of. While Instant Pot leads the way in the pressure cooker industry, countless other companies flooded the market in hopes of capitalizing off the newest trend. Consumers assume these manufacturers put their safety first, but that isn’t always the case. More often than not, these companies’ profits are of supreme importance even if that means a greater risk to the public.

To maximize their profits, some of these companies take short cuts or fail to maintain the quality control needed to produce these pressure cookers. With scalding hot pressure chambers of food at 250+ degrees and 15 psi, the possibility for disaster is not hard to imagine. And, due to poor design, malfunctions and unannounced recalls, disasters have happened. It is devastating to read the reports of the young children and family members who have suffered amputations, skin grafts, and countless surgeries because of the severity of burns sustained by exploding pressure cookers. We find these senseless mistakes by companies reprehensible.

The injuries that these companies don’t want you to know about

Soumia Sedrati, a resident of Ohio, was one of those unfortunate consumers who suffered thermal burns on her back and lower extremities due to a malfunction of a Phillipe Richard Pressure Cooker. While fully pressurized, the lid to the pressure cooker became detached and was launched from the cooker during normal, directed use. As a result, boiling hot liquid exploded from the pressure cooker, burning Ms. Sedrati severely.

Another heartbreaking incident happened to Samantha Gonzalez, a 2-year-old girl from Florida. While Samantha was being bathed by her grandmother in the sink, a pressure cooker exploded on the counter beside them. As the pressure cooker exploded, it covered the vulnerable infant with hot liquid. Samantha suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 60% of her body from the explosion. Due to further complications from the burns, Samantha had to undergo several amputations just to survive the incident.

After an investigation from the family’s legal counsel, it was discovered that the internal locking mechanism was the wrong size for the cooker, leaving the lid susceptible to twist off during use. Later the manufacturer of the Vasconia® 8-quart pressure cooker, Lifestyle Brands, realized the issue and fixed it on newer models but failed to recall the old models. The reckless actions of the manufacturer has cost this young girl so much and we believe it is our duty to fight on behalf of those who have been so horrendously affected like Samantha. She and her family have luckily received the legal advocates they deserved and were able to secure a $27 million settlement for the damages caused by the pressure cooker. We do not believe this makes up for the trauma, damage, and life lost due to the explosion, but we believe it is the very least they deserve and is a step towards overcoming the tragedy.

Ongoing litigation against pressure cooker manufacturers

While these are only two examples of how these seemingly harmless kitchen products can seriously injure consumers, there are countless more individuals that have had to deal with similar injuries from pressure cooker explosions. Currently, a number of lawsuits are being filed against these pressure cooker manufacturers:

- Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker

- Philippe Richards Pressure Cooker

- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

- Mirro Pressure Cooker

- NuWave Nutri-Pot Pressure Cooker

- Power Pressure Cooker XL

- Elite Bistro Pressure Cooker

- Cook’s Essentials Pressure Cooker

- Fagor Pressure Cooker

- Cuisinart Pressure Cooker

- Breville Fast Slower Cookers

- HSN Ultrex Pressure Cooker

- Prestige Smartplus Pressure Cooker

- ALDI Crofton Pressure Cookers

- Ginny’s Pressure Cooker

- Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cooker

Legal representatives are making sure that those affected are cared for and compensated for the alleged negligence of these manufacturers. We first and foremost care about your safety and believe that you should be aware of the dangers of these pressure cookers. If you or someone you know has been injured by a pressure cooker that is or isn't mentioned above, you may be entitled to compensation without ever going to court. Click here for a free and no-obligation review of your case. We’ll help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the process, and maximize your potential compensation. If you do not receive a recovery through a lawsuit or settlement, you don’t owe us anything.

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