An Instant Pot is advertised as a safe pressure cooker option, but some owners have experienced unexpected explosions that lead to serious, life-altering burns across their bodies. While this kitchen appliance makes cooking more convenient, it sets the stage for some of the most dangerous types of accidents in the kitchen. Understanding the risk will help Instant Pot owners know what they should do.
Understanding How Instant Pots Work
An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker. It is designed to create an air-tight seal before pressurizing the food and liquid contents. This pressure helps the food fill with flavor while also reducing the amount of time it takes to prepare a meal. The Instant Pot remains one of the top kitchen appliances and a common gift given during the holiday season.
Pressure cookers are not new in the kitchen, but electric pressure cookers provide greater convenience and supposedly greater safety. Old-fashioned pressure cookers relied on large lug nuts to hold the lid tight. Unfortunately, these were known to lose their grip and allow the lid to fly through the kitchen.
The Instant Pot has two or three redundant safety valves and a silicone seal that helps reduce the risk of this problem. It also has a locking lid and a spring-loaded piston to prevent it from opening while still under pressure. The device will not build pressure if all of its safety mechanisms are not in place, so the risk of injury is much less.
However, there is still a risk of injury. In 2015, Instant Pot issued a recall for many of its models due to electrical burns. Other owners have reported explosions that led to serious injuries, including life-altering burns. This has lead to many lawsuits against the company.
What Customers Can Do if Injured by Their Instant Pots
If someone has suffered a burn or serious injury from their instant pot, working with an injury attorney in Las Vegas can be important. It is necessary to dig into the facts to determine if user error caused the explosion, or if the device was not being used properly.
Because Instant Pot advertises that it has safety mechanisms designed to prevent explosions, the company is held to a high standard for safety. If the pressure cooker is not working as it should, those injured in an explosion may have the right to seek compensation for their injuries. However, this is only the case if the pressure cooker is used according to its instructions.
Types of Lawsuits an Injury Attorney in Las Vegas Can File in Instant Pot Explosions
If a customer is using an Instant Pot properly, but the safety features fail to keep the user safe, then they have the right to file a lawsuit. A personal injury attorney in Las Vegas can file a defective products lawsuit, which typically is for one of three reasons.
First, a defectively manufactured product can lead to a lawsuit. This type of lawsuit indicates that the product became defective due to mistakes made while it was in production or somewhere in the distribution chain.
Second, a defectively designed product lawsuit is possible. If the safety mechanisms were not designed properly, such as if the pressure release valve had a flaw or the lid did not fit properly, then the customer may have grounds to file this particular lawsuit.
Finally, failure to provide warnings or proper instruction is the last kind. If a product is advertised as safe, but does not have the right warnings or instructions for safe usage, then someone who is injured may be able to file this type of lawsuit.
In Instant Pot lawsuits, all three are potential concerns. That is why working with an injury attorney in Las Vegas is so helpful. With an attorney’s help, customers can dig into the facts and determine if which type of case they should file and whether the case should go to trial.
Who Is Named in an Instant Pot Lawsuit?
A product liability lawsuit can include the manufacturer, but it can also include retailers and suppliers who helped sell the product. Sometimes it can include the distributor who got the product to the store. Again, this is where an injury attorney in Las Vegas can help.
What Type of Compensation Is Possible?
In an Instant Pot lawsuit, an injury attorney in Las Vegas seeks to recover compensation for clients in several areas. Not only will current medical bills be addressed, but so will future lost wages and the need for ongoing care for the medical need. Pain and suffering are common with severe burns, and sometimes the individual will need to modify their home for their care. In addition, compensation for damage to the home may be part of the lawsuit. Some people push for punitive damages.