Walmart Equate Heat Wrap Lawsuit Alleges Defects Caused Severe Burns to Lower Back

Lawsuit claims Walmart failed to recall Equate heat wraps or warn consumers about burn risks, despite similar designs being linked to injuries.

A Virginia man has filed a lawsuit alleging that an Equate Air Activated Heat Wrap purchased at a South Carolina Walmart store overheated and caused severe burns to his lower back, despite being used in accordance with the product’s instructions.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by James N. Rice in the South Carolina Court of Common Pleas on December 5, 2025, naming Walmart Inc. as the defendant. The case was later removed to the U.S. District Court for South Carolina on February 25.

Heat wraps are disposable, wearable therapy products designed to provide temporary relief for minor muscle and joint pain by generating heat when exposed to air. Although marketed as safe for several hours of use, defective or improperly manufactured wraps can pose burn risks if the internal heat cells overheat, leak or concentrate warmth in one area. In some cases, users may not immediately feel the severity of the injury, particularly during prolonged wear.

Burn injuries caused by defective heating elements in wearable products have been the subject of several recalls and product liability lawsuits in recent months. Since late last year, a series of heated insole lawsuits have been filed against Amazon for allegedly selling malfunctioning electric foot warmers designed without adequate thermal safeguards. 

Plaintiffs claim the battery powered insoles overheated or malfunctioned while being worn inside shoes, resulting in severe burn injuries to consumers’ feet and legs.

According to his complaint, Rice purchased an Equate heat wrap at a Walmart store on Saint James Avenue in Goose Creek, South Carolina on December 6, 2022. The following day, he says that he opened the package and applied the heat wrap before beginning his shift at work.

The lawsuit indicates Rice wore the heat wrap for about five hours before leaving work for a routine doctor’s appointment. At that appointment, his physician informed him that he had sustained burns to his lower back, which the complaint attributes to the recently removed heat wrap.

Rice alleges that the burns developed during the five-hour period he wore the product, even though the packaging stated the wrap was safe for use for “up to 8 hours.”

As a result of the injuries he sustained, Rice alleges the Equate Air Activated Heat Wrap contained defects in its internal heat cells and was sold with packaging and instructions that included inaccurate representations and unclear or contradictory directions.

The complaint also alleges Walmart knew or should have known of prior problems involving comparable products, including reports of leaking ingredients and heat cells reaching temperatures higher than specified.

Specifically, the lawsuit references a recall involving Pfizer’s ThermaCare HeatWrap, a product Walmart allegedly promoted as comparable to the Equate heat wrap. ThermaCare units were recalled due to overheating and leaking issues, yet Rice claims Walmart failed to remove the Equate product from the market or adequately warn consumers about similar risks.

“As a direct and proximate result of the Defendant’s wanton, reckless, negligent or grossly negligent conduct, the Plaintiff sustained serious bodily injury, incurred medical expenses, and suffered and continues to suffer from mental anguish and physical pain leading to the loss of enjoyment of life.”

— James N. Rice v. Walmart Inc.

The complaint raises allegations of negligence/gross negligence, product liability/strict liability in tort, breach of warranty and failure to warn. It seeks actual and punitive damages, along with costs and other relief the court deems appropriate.

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