Pressure Cooker Burn Injury Lawsuit Filed Over Defective Safety Features

Lawsuit alleges Sunbeam sold a defective Crock-Pot pressure cooker, which caused severe burn injuries for the user when the lid exploded off.

A Michigan woman claims a Crock-Pot pressure cooker was manufactured with defective safety features, which allowed the lid to be removed while the product was still under pressure, leading to her suffering severe burn injuries.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Fallon Sophie Koenig in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on September 16, naming Sunbeam Products Inc. and Newell Brands Inc. as defendants. Sunbeam, a subsidiary of Newell, is the manufacturer of the Crock-Pot pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker Design Defect Lawsuits

Newer model Sunbeam electronic Crock-Pot pressure cookers, like many competing designs, are marketed as being equipped with advanced safety mechanisms intended to prevent the lid from being removed while the unit is pressurized. These locking systems, pressure release valves and sealing gaskets are designed to ensure that steam and pressure are safely released before the cooker is opened.

In theory, these features protect consumers from the risks long associated with older stovetop pressure cookers, which were notorious for explosions and sudden releases of scalding steam. By locking the lid securely in place, the safeguards are supposed to prevent users from accidentally opening the device before the pressure has been released.

However, a growing number of pressure cooker lawsuits filed in recent years, like Koenig’s, allege that these protections fail in practice. When the locking mechanism does not engage properly or the valves malfunction, the lid can detach while the contents are still under high pressure, causing superheated liquid and steam to be ejected from the cooker. This sudden release can lead to severe burns, permanent scarring and other catastrophic injuries, the very dangers the safety features were meant to prevent.

Michigan Woman Seeks Damages for Pressure Cooker Burns

In her lawsuit, Koenig, a resident of Ypsilanti, Michigan, claims she suffered serious and disfiguring burn injuries on September 17, 2023, when her Sunbeam Crock-Pot Oval Multi-Function Pressure Cooker, Model CPPCV60-SS, malfunctioned and allowed the lid to be opened while still pressurized

Koenig indicates she was using the cooker in a normal, intended manner, when the defective safety features failed. According to the complaint, although there were no outward appearances or indication that there was still built-up pressure within the cooker, the lid was able to be rotated open, causing scalding hot contents to be forcefully ejected onto her body. 

She alleges the accident caused painful and substantial burn injuries, requiring immediate medical treatment and leaving her with ongoing physical and emotional harm. 

The lawsuit asserts that the Crock-Pot pressure cooker was defectively designed and manufactured, directly contradicting Sunbeam’s marketing promises that its modern safety features would prevent the lid from opening under pressure. 

Koenig further contends that Sunbeam and its parent company, Newell Brands, failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions about the risks, despite knowing of similar problems reported with other pressure cooker brands.

Her complaint also emphasizes that economical and safer alternative designs existed at the time of manufacture, which could have prevented the incident, but the companies deliberately chose not to adopt them.

“(T)he incident occurred as the result of Defendants’ failure to redesign the pressure cooker, despite the existence of economical, safer alternative designs.”

— Fallon Sophie Koenig v. Sunbeam Products Inc. et al

As a result, Koenig says she continues to suffer severe pain, emotional distress, and the likelihood of future medical expenses due to the burns

Koenig brings claims of strict products liability, negligence, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, and breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and she is also seeking punitive damages, alleging that the defendants acted with willful disregard for consumer safety by placing profits above protecting the public. 

Pressure Cooker Recalls

Koenig’s experience reflects a broader pattern of serious burns caused by pressure cookers, prompting multiple large‐scale recalls overseen by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

In 2024, Best Buy recalled approximately 930,000 Insignia Multi-Function electric pressure cookers and separately sold inner pots (model numbers NS-MC60SS8, NS-MC60SS9, NS-MC80SS9, NS-MCRP6NS9, NS-MCRP6SS9) due to incorrect volume markings on the inner pot. 

These markings allowed users to overfill the cooker, increasing the risk that contents would be forcefully expelled under pressure. The CPSC reported 31 incidents, including 17 burn injuries, some of which were second-degree or worse. 

Another recall issued in August 2023 involved about 860,000 units by Sensio covering Bella, Bella Pro Series, Crux and Cooks electric pressure cookers, as well as Bella stovetop models. 

The hazard was that the pressure cooker’s lid could unlock and be removed during use, allowing hot contents to unexpectedly splash out. The CPSC received 63 reports of incidents, including 61 burn injuries, some second- and third-degree burns to the face, torso, arms and hands.

Similar safety issues have been linked to other popular brands, including Crock-Pot, Farberware, Ninja Foodi and Instant Pot. As a result, individuals injured in pressure cooker explosions may qualify for financial recovery. Pressure cooker injury attorneys provide free consultations to help victims determine their legal options.

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