Amazon Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Alleges Defective Instant Pot Exploded, Causing Severe Burns

Lawsuit claims safer designs were readily available that could have prevented the pressure cooker’s lid from being rotated and opened while pressurized.

Amid a growing wave of pressure cooker explosion lawsuits, a Colorado woman has filed suit against Amazon.com, alleging the company sold and distributed a defective Instant Pot pressure cooker that caused her to suffer severe burn injuries.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Ashley Nicole Chandre in the U.S. District Court for Colorado on November 3, naming Amazon.com Inc. as the sole defendant.

Instant Pot is a popular brand of electric pressure cookers that has been marketed as a safer, more convenient alternative to traditional stovetop models long associated with explosion risks. The cookers are promoted as featuring lid-locking mechanisms intended to prevent the lid from opening while the contents remain pressurized, a design meant to reduce the chance of scalding liquids or steam being forcefully ejected and causing serious burn injuries.

However, numerous pressure cooker lawsuits in recent years have alleged that these built-in safety features can fail to function properly, allowing lids to be opened while the contents are still under pressure. In many cases, users have reported no visible signs that the cooker remained pressurized until scalding food and liquid were forcefully ejected, causing serious burn injuries.

As litigation over these faulty lid-locking systems has grown, Instant Brands, the maker of the Instant Pot, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2023. Despite that filing, new claims continue to target other pressure cooker manufacturers and major retailers such as Amazon.com, accusing them of selling dangerously defective products without sufficient safety warnings or instructions.

In her lawsuit, Chandre claims that she purchased an Instant Pot pressure cooker from Amazon.com in June 2023, roughly one week after Instant Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The lawsuit indicates that Chandre purchased this particular brand of pressure cooker as a result of advertising that claimed the product contained numerous safety features, including overheat protection and an auto-sealing safety lid locking mechanism.

However, the complaint goes on to indicate that while Chandre was using the pressure cooker as instructed in December 2023, she was able to open the lid while the device was still under pressure, resulting in an explosion of scalding hot contents, causing her to suffer severe burn injuries.

Chandre contends that safer and more cost-effective alternative designs were readily available that could have prevented the lid from rotating and opening while the cooker was still pressurized.

“The pressure cookers possess defects that make them unreasonably dangerous for their intended use by consumers because the lid can be rotated and opened while the unit remains pressurized.”

— Ashley Nicole Chandre v. Amazon.com Inc.

Chandre raises allegations of strict liability and negligence against Amazon. She is seeking damages to compensate her for injuries, economic losses, and pain and suffering sustained as a result of the defective pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker Lawsuits

Chandre is not the first to file a lawsuit against Amazon.com over defective pressure cookers. In April, a Florida woman sued the online retailer after her 2-year-old child suffered severe burn injuries when their Instant Pot allegedly opened while still pressurized, ejecting scalding contents onto the child.

Target has also been named in a separate lawsuit alleging that an Instant Pot purchased from one of its stores experienced a similar malfunction, causing severe burn injuries to a Minnesota woman.

Given the issues facing these newer, electric models, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced multiple recalls in recent years over pressure cooker explosion hazards. Many of these cases are similar to the complaints brought against Instant Pot, where defective designs have allowed lids to be opened while the contents are still pressurized, causing burning hot food and liquid to spray out and injure nearby users.

In 2023, nearly one million Best Buy Insignia pressure cookers were recalled, followed by more than 800,000 Sensio units being pulled from stores, both due to lid safety failures linked to explosion incidents.

Consumers injured by similar defects involving brands such as Instant Pot, Crock-Pot, Ninja Foodi and others may be entitled to financial compensation. Pressure cooker injury attorneys are offering free case evaluations to help individuals determine whether they qualify to file a lawsuit.

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