Cooking burns are common, especially when preparing a meal on the hot stove or placing something in the oven. Newer kitchen appliances like Instant Pots have also been found to cause cooking burns. However, these burns may not be the fault of the cook, but the fault of Instant Pot manufacturers.
Instant Pots have become such a popular kitchen application in recent years, that they are now found in 20% of American households. While they may seem like the perfect way to cook a quick and easy meal, many users have been severely injured when using their Instant Pots. Unfortunately, an estimated one thousand individuals have found their Instant Pots to have faulty manufacturing. While using a cooking appliance involving extremely high temperatures, users should feel confident that the product will not malfunction.
Damages Due to Faulty Instant Pots
Despite manufacturers’ claims that Instant Pots are safe for consumer use, people have found their Instant Pots to malfunction in several different ways.
Exploding
The most dangerous damage is hot contents exploding onto users when opening the lid of their Instant Pot. This can occur if the lid of the Instant Pot does not close properly. In Instant Pots that have this design error, the pressure within the pot causes the boiling contents to explode onto users.
It can be a terrifying experience for an Instant Pot to unexpectedly explode during use, and being unaware of this potential malfunction can make this an even more troubling experience. Instant Pot users should check that their Instant Pot lid is fully closed when cooking. When food is ready, users can open the lid slowly.
Melting
High temperatures of Instant Pots can cause the plastic at the bottom of an Instant Pot to melt while cooking. Other users have found that the wires at the bottom of Instant Pots may melt, potentially causing burns. It’s best to avoid moving or cleaning Instant Pots right after use because touching melted wires can be extremely dangerous.
When defective Instant Pots malfunction in these ways, they can cause serious injuries. Even if these appliances appear to be working properly, use caution when dealing with them just in case they have a design defect.
User Injuries
Instant Pot users have reported severe burns from their faulty appliances. These burns may be found on several parts of the body, including the:
- Face
- Upper torso
- Arms
- Hands
- Shoulder
- Neck
Burns can be extremely painful and difficult to treat, especially third degree burns that affect deeper layers of the skin. Victims can detect third degree burns if rather than turning red, the affected skin turns black, white, brown, or yellow. They may not even feel pain from the burn because nerve-endings can be damaged. These severe types of burns require immediate medical attention, as doctors may need to use a type of surgery called skin grafting to cover parts of the skin that were affected.
It may seem impossible to develop a third-degree burn just from using an Instant Pot, but these appliances can reach over 200 degrees. To put this temperature into perspective, if someone was exposed to hot water at 180 degrees, they would develop a serious burn in just five seconds. Severe burns develop so quickly that Instant Pot manufacturers should re-consider the appliance’s design.
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Manufacturer at Fault
These burn injuries could have been avoided if Instant Pot’s manufacturer, Instant Brands Inc., had warned users of the potential defects. Instant Brands Inc. continues to label their product as safe, even after one thousand individuals have come out about their injuries. The company also hasn’t honored any warranties regarding damaged Instant Pots. This means that any current Instant Pot users may still be vulnerable to burns from Instant Pots malfunctioning.
Instant Brands Inc. should honor warranties for those affected by this dangerous defect. Individuals who developed burns may need to pay for hospital bills, even surgery, because of their product’s malfunctioning. Yet, Instant Pot manufacturers continue to put this appliance on store shelves, potentially threatening the safety of future users.
Pintas & Mullins Can Help
If you have suffered burn injuries as a result of your Instant Pot malfunctioning, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced team of legal professionals at Pintas & Mullins can help you collect evidence that your Instant Pot caused your damages, and hold the manufacturer accountable. Receive a free evaluation of your case today by calling (800) 794-0444.
Call or text 800-934-6555 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form