Barton Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Claims Explosion Resulted in Third- and Fourth-Degree Burns

Woman allegedly suffered severe burns to multiple areas of her body, requiring ongoing medical care and resulting in permanent scarring and disfigurement.

A Louisiana woman has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging a Barton pressure cooker suddenly exploded during normal use, splashing boiling water onto her body and causing severe third- and fourth-degree burns.

The complaint (PDF) was originally brought by Shana Stewart in Louisiana District Court on April 25, 2025, naming Stark Group LLC, doing business as Stark USA and Stark Tools USA, as the defendant. It was later removed to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana on April 13.

Stewart alleges her Barton pressure cooker was being used in a manner reasonably anticipated by the manufacturer when it suddenly and without warning exploded. The lawsuit claims Stark Group designed, manufactured, sold and placed into the stream of commerce a defective and unreasonably dangerous product.

Pressure Cooker Explosion Risks

Pressure cookers are commonly used kitchen appliances that prepare food rapidly by sealing in steam and increasing internal pressure. When functioning as intended, integrated safety mechanisms are meant to keep the lid locked until the pressure has been safely released.

However, when a pressure cooker is defectively designed or manufactured, the buildup of heat and pressure can create a risk of sudden explosion and the release of scalding contents.

As concerns over these kinds of defects mount, an increasing number of pressure cooker lawsuits have been filed in recent years, claiming faulty safety features in certain devices may allow the lids to be released while pressure remains inside. These product defects can result in hot food and liquid being violently ejected onto users, causing serious burn injuries.

Barton Pressure Cooker Explosion Allegations

According to the complaint, Stewart purchased a Model 99901-H2 Barton 8 Quart Aluminum Stovetop Pressure Cooker through the Walmart app in March 2024. After using the device twice, she alleges the pressure cooker exploded on April 26, 2024, about 30 to 40 minutes into its third use. The explosion caused boiling hot water to splash onto Stewart’s arms, chest, stomach and underarms.

Stewart says she suffered third and fourth degree burns across many of the areas where the scalding contents landed. These injuries required medical, surgical and rehabilitative treatment. The lawsuit indicates she continues to undergo burn scraping and other treatments and has been left with permanent scarring and disfigurement.

The complaint claims that the pressure cooker was defective in its construction or composition, or alternatively in its design, warnings and warranties. It also claims the device lacked features necessary to make it safe for its intended use and was not adequately tested before being marketed and sold.

“Plaintiff shows that STARK USA designed and/or manufactured a product or products as described above and that it/they were defective and unreasonably dangerous in design, construction, composition/manufacture and inadequate in its instructions and/or warnings thereby rendering Defendant liable under the Louisiana Products Liability Act and other applicable provisions of Louisiana Law.”

— Shana Stewart v. Stark Group LLC

The lawsuit is seeking damages for medical expenses, physical injury, pain and suffering, scarring, disfigurement, embarrassment, disability, mental injury, mental anguish and distress, loss of enjoyment of life and other losses.

Electric Pressure Cooker Explosion Lawsuits

Stewart’s claim adds to a growing number of pressure cooker explosion lawsuits filed in recent years against a variety of manufacturers and brands, including Instant Pot, SharkNinja, Crock-Pot and Farberware. Many of these cases raise similar concerns that modern, electric pressure cookers may suffer from certain safety failures that allow the lid to be opened while dangerous pressure remains inside the device.

Unlike with older, stovetop models like that at the center of Stewart’s complaint, these plaintiffs frequently allege the products were marketed as incorporating advanced safety systems intended to prevent such incidents. However, they indicate those safeguards did not function as promised during normal use.

Regulatory agencies have also responded to similar issues. In recent years, recalls have affected more than one million Best Buy Insignia pressure cookers and approximately 900,000 Sensio pressure cooker units due to lid defects that could permit hot contents to escape, creating a serious burn hazard.

Consumers involved in these incidents often report severe injuries, including second- and third-degree burns, permanent scarring and lasting physical and emotional effects.

In response, pressure cooker injury attorneys continue to review potential claims for individuals injured in pressure cooker explosions or malfunctions. Lawyers are currently examining whether manufacturers and sellers failed to properly design, test or warn about the risks associated with these appliances.

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