Walmart Faces Lawsuit Over Instant Pot Explosion, Resulting from Defective Pressure Cooker Design

Similar problems have led to multiple pressure cooker recalls in recent years, following reports of consumer burn injuries caused by defective safety features.

A California woman has filed a lawsuit against Walmart and the makers of the Instant Pot pressure cooker, saying she suffered severe burn injuries due to a failure of the device’s safety features.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Virginia Villa Sanders in California Superior Court late last year and was later removed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on March 16, naming Walmart, Guangdong Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and Midea America Corp. as defendants.

Pressure cookers trap steam inside a sealed chamber to cook food, significantly raising internal pressure and temperature. They are advertised as including safety features that are supposed to prevent the lid from being removed or exploding off the device while the contents are under pressure.

However, recent years have seen a growing number of pressure cooker lawsuits filed against various manufacturers and distributors, indicating those safety features are inadequate and frequently fail. When those safety systems fail, the sudden release of pressure can cause violent explosions or forcefully eject boiling contents, endangering those nearby.

As a result of these alleged defects and pressure cooker burn injuries, lawsuits are being brought against manufacturers of Instant Pot, SharkNinja, Crock-Pot, Farberware and others, alleging their advertised safety features failed to prevent pressure cooker explosions that caused severe, and in some cases permanent, burns.

According to her lawsuit, Villa Sanders experienced her own Instant Pot pressure cooker explosion in November 2023. She indicates that she was using the Viva Black SS 60 Instant Pot in a foreseeable manner when the incident occurred.

“While using the product, the lid of the Instant Pot pressure cooker unexpectedly and suddenly opened while the contents were still pressurized, causing superheated contents to erupt from the appliance.”

– Virginia Villa-Sanders v. Walmart Inc. et al

Villa Sanders claims she suffered severe burns and other injuries when the Instant Pot exploded, requiring medical treatment and resulting in significant pain, disfigurement, emotional distress and lost wages.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants designed and sold a defective and unreasonably dangerous product, failed to incorporate adequate lid-locking mechanisms, did not provide sufficient warnings about the risks, and neglected to correct known safety issues.

She brings claims for product liability, negligence and retailer liability, and is seeking compensatory damages.

Pressure Cooker Explosion Lawsuits

Pressure cookers like the Instant Pot have been the target of product liability lawsuits for several years now, and have been the subject of multiple recalls due to design defects involving explosion risks.

Nearly one million Best Buy Insignia pressure cookers were recalled in 2023 due to lid safety failures linked to seven burn injuries from explosion incidents. A recall of Sensio pressure cookers that same year affected about 900,000 units for similar reasons.

Similar design issues have been raised in lawsuits involving other major pressure cooker brands, including Farberware, Ninja Foodi and Crock-Pot. Individuals injured in these types of explosions may be eligible to pursue compensation, and many pressure cooker burn injury attorneys offer free consultations and handle cases on a contingency fee basis.

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