Bedsure Heating Pad Lawsuit Alleges Overheating Caused Severe Burns, Skin Grafts

Lawsuit claims Bedsure continued selling defective heating pads despite more than 130 reports of fires, burns and other injuries.

An Illinois woman has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging she suffered serious burn injuries after a Bedsure heating pad failed to automatically shut off while she slept.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Therese Corvino in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 29, naming Bedshe International Co. Ltd., the manufacturer of Bedsure heating pads, as the sole defendant.

Corvino claims the Bedsure device she used was defectively designed and manufactured despite the company advertising extensive safety testing and an automatic shut-off feature.

Heating Pad Injuries

Heating pads and electric blankets use integrated heating elements to provide additional warmth, making them a common choice during cold weather. However, defective electrical components, manufacturing problems or inadequate safety features may cause the products to overheat and create serious hazards.

A number of electric blanket recalls have been announced in recent years over problems that may cause excessive heat, potentially resulting in fires, burn injuries and other safety risks.

In 2024, Bedsure issued a recall of more than 350,000 heating blankets and pads after the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) received at least 137 reports of the devices catching fire, burning, melting and overheating in consumer homes.

Similar risks have prompted lawsuits against manufacturers, retailers and online marketplaces such as Amazon, alleging they allowed potentially dangerous heated blankets to be sold to consumers.

An Amazon product liability lawsuit filed earlier this year alleged an electric blanket purchased through the platform caught fire while an Ohio man was sleeping, causing severe burns and life-altering injuries that ultimately left him paraplegic.

Bedsure Heating Pad Injury Allegations

According to the lawsuit, Corvino was preparing for bed on November 8, 2024, when she turned on the Bedsure heating pad and fell asleep beneath it. Since she had been using the device several times per week, she says she expected the automatic shut-off feature to turn the heating pad off while she slept. However, the device allegedly remained on throughout the night and was still hot the following morning.

Corvino indicates that she went to the bathroom to get ready for work and noticed that her right breast was wet. When she wiped the area with a tissue, she discovered that the skin had sloughed off. Corvino previously underwent reconstructive surgery following breast cancer and has no sensation in her breasts, which prevented her from feeling the alleged burn as it occurred.

The lawsuit states that Corvino initially did not know what had happened. She covered the area with a bandage and went to work, but over the course of the morning her breast became increasingly raw and red, leading her to suspect that she had suffered a burn.

Corvino treated the injury with Silvadene cream and bandages before seeking medical care. According to the complaint, the burn injuries were severe enough to ultimately require skin grafts.

Bedsure allegedly advertised that its heating blankets and pads undergo “74 safety checks beyond UL standards” and are “certified with default 8-hour auto shut-off for complete peace of mind.” However, Corvino claims the heating pad was defectively designed and prone to overheating, creating a risk of fires and serious burn injuries.

The complaint alleges Bedsure knew or should have known about problems with its heating products after more than 130 reports involving fires, burns and other injuries associated with similar devices were submitted to the CPSC. Despite those reports, Corvino claims the company failed to issue a timely recall and continued selling the heating pads, placing profits ahead of consumer safety.

“The aforementioned heating pad was defectively designed and manufactured by Defendant in that it overheated and gravely injured the Plaintiff during the ordinary, foreseeable and proper use of the product; placing the Plaintiff and similar consumers in danger while using the heating pads.”

— Therese Corvino v. Bedshe International Co. Ltd.

The lawsuit raises allegations of strict products liability, negligence and breach of implied warranty of merchantability. It seeks compensation for significant and painful bodily injuries, medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish and diminished enjoyment of life.

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