Ninja Blender Burn Lawsuit Alleges Plastic Cup Burst During Normal Use

Lawsuit claims SharkNinja failed to warn consumers about blender safety risks and continued selling the devices despite safer alternative designs.

A California woman has filed a lawsuit alleging a defective NutriNinja blender exploded while she was using it, resulting in severe burn injuries and eye trauma from the hot oil inside.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Linda Medina in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on September 18, naming SharkNinja Operating LLC as the sole defendant.

Medina claims the Ninja Blender was defectively designed and manufactured, causing the blender cup to explode and spray hot contents onto her neck and body and into her eye.

Ninja Blender Defect Injuries

SharkNinja has faced a number of product liability lawsuits involving injuries caused by its blenders and other kitchen appliances.

Several recent claims allege Ninja blender blade assemblies can detach during use or cleaning. Earlier this year, a Texas woman filed a lawsuit alleging a Ninja blender blade separated during use and caused severe lacerations.

Other Ninja Nutri blender lawsuits allege heat and pressure can build inside sealed blender cups, causing them to burst open or suddenly release hot contents.

Similar concerns have surfaced in a number of pressure cooker lawsuits involving popular brands such as Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot and Crock-Pot. The claims allege the appliances were marketed with safety mechanisms intended to keep the lids locked while pressure remained inside, but those features can fail, allowing users to open the cookers and become exposed to scalding food and liquid.

Ninja Blender Burn Injury Allegations

According to the complaint, Medina was using her father’s NutriNinja Pro blender to make chili oil. After adding the hot contents, she pressed the blender cup down into the base to turn the device on. While it was blending, she says she began to see a plastic bubble forming on the surface of the blender cup. However, before she could stop the blender, the bubble in the plastic allegedly burst.

When the blender cup burst open, Medina says it sprayed scalding chili oil onto her face, neck and chest. She suffered swollen skin and blisters on her neck, eyelid and torso, seeking medical attention and being treated for partial thickness burns and eye trauma.

The complaint alleges the Ninja blender is defectively designed and that the blender cup can break or pop up and expose the user to hot contents as well as the fast moving blades inside.

Medina argues that SharkNinja knew or should have known of the defect, following a number of complaints and reports linked to blender cups in recent years. However, she says the company put profit over safety and continued to sell the defective blender.

Additionally, the lawsuit indicates SharkNinja failed to warn consumers of the danger the blenders posed, despite there being safer alternative designs available. Instead, the company chose to continue to sell the device that allegedly was not fit for its intended purpose.

“Defendant failed to properly market, design, manufacture, package, distribute, supply, and sell the blenders, despite having extensive knowledge that the aforementioned injuries could and did occur.”

— Linda Medina v. SharkNinja Operating LLC

The complaint raises allegations of strict liability, negligence and breach of implied warranty of merchantability. It seeks compensation for significant and painful bodily injuries, past and future medical expenses, mental anguish, emotional injuries, disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life.

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