A Nebraska woman recently filed a new Tristar pressure cooker lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. She claims that after using the cooker, she suffered from serious injuries.
She seeks compensatory damages, including over $143,000 in lost wages and at least $6,621.47 in medical bills.
Plaintiff Says Tristar Cooker Exploded, Severely Burning Her
According to her complaint, the plaintiff purchased the Tristar pressure cooker from a Walmart in Bellevue, Nebraska in April or May 2020. She states that it quickly became a staple in her home and that she used it according to Tristar’s instructions for the next three or four months without any issues.
Then on July 17, 2020, she was using the cooker to make a roast for her family. She had previously used it to make the same meal with the same ingredients. The cooker beeped that it was done so she opened the pressure release valve. She waited for the steam to dissipate before easily opening the lid.
The pressure cooker then exploded, spewing hot steam and liquid onto her face, chest, and arms. She was rushed to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) emergency room, where she was diagnosed with partial-thickness, full-thickness, second-degree, and third-degree burns.
As a result of these injuries, the plaintiff states she has suffered physical pain, mental anguish, and diminished enjoyment of life.
Plaintiff Asserts Tristar’s Safety Mechanisms Don’t Work
The suit names as a defendant Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of SB/RH Holdings, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spectrum. (The complaint also names Tristar Products, Inc. as a defendant.)
Spectrum acquired all the membership interests in HPC Brands, LLC on February 18, 2022. HPC Brands, LLC, is the home appliances and cookware business of Tristar Products, Inc. With Spectrum’s support, Tristar continues to sell Power Quick Pot pressure cookers.
The company first introduced its line of Power Quick Pot pressure cookers in 2018. It distributes operation instructions to its consumers in the owner’s manual. The instructions tell the user that the Power Quick Pot will beep when it finished its cooking cycle.
Once the unit beeps, the user should move the “Steam Release Switch” to “Open.” The pressure cooker is supposed to release all of its pressurized steam before the user can open the lid.
Specifically, Tristar asserts in the manual that if steam/pressure is coming out of the pressure release valve or the user’s hand is still holding the steam release switch in the open position, the lid will not slide to open.
The plaintiff claims that the cooker did not work as outlined in the instructions. She adds that Tristar’s defective locking mechanism and internal steam venting designs failed to prevent her from opening the lid, resulting in the explosion and her injuries.
Exclusively focused on representing plaintiffs—especially in mass tort litigation—Roopal Luhana prides herself on providing unsurpassed professional legal services in pursuit of the specific goals of her clients and their families. While she handles complex cases nationwide on behalf of consumers, Ms. Luhana resides with her family in Brooklyn, New York.
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