Weber Grill Brush Lawsuit Claims Detached Bristle Punctured Man’s Intestine

Both individual personal injury and a Weber grill brush class action lawsuit have been filed in the wake of a recall following reports of injuries after ingesting detached bristles.

A Florida man is pursuing a personal injury lawsuit alleging he suffered severe injuries after swallowing a metal bristle that detached from a Weber grill brush, requiring him to undergo emergency bowel resection surgery.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Steven Soule in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on April 28. It names Weber Inc. and Weber-Stephen Products LLC as defendants.

Soule claims that a metal bristle from a Weber grill brush detached during normal use, stuck to his grill and later became lodged in food he consumed. As a result of ingestion, the bristle perforated his intestines and caused sepsis that resulted in emergency surgery and hospitalization.

Weber Grill Brush Recall

Weber grill brushes contain metal wires attached to a plastic or wooden handle. They are used to clean barbecue grills and other cooking equipment. However, in recent years dozens of injuries have been linked to the brushes.

Both consumers and the manufacturer have pointed out that the bristles have a tendency to detach from the brush head during use and stick to the grill. When cooking, these detached bristles may transfer to food, putting individuals at risk of ingestion and internal injuries.

As a result, Weber issued a massive wire grill brush recall in February, affecting more than 3.2 million units. At the time of the recall, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicated it had received nearly 40 reports of injuries linked to the recalled grill brushes, with four people requiring emergency medical treatment.

Weber Grill Brush Injury Allegations

The new complaint indicates Soule used the Weber Grill Brush to clean his grill in mid-October 2025. According to the lawsuit, a metal bristle broke away from the brush head and remained on the grilling surface.

Soule alleges that he later cooked hamburgers on the same grill, causing the loose bristle to stick to his food. After he consumed the hamburger, the metal bristle allegedly punctured and perforated his intestines.

The lawsuit states that Soule later developed sepsis and went to the hospital with a 103-degree fever. He allegedly underwent emergency bowel resection surgery, during which doctors removed one foot of damaged and infected intestine. Soule spent several days in the intensive care unit and required months of recovery, causing him to miss four months of work.

The complaint alleges Weber concealed their knowledge of the grill brush design defect and should have known the bristles had a tendency to come loose. The brushes are designed to come into contact with grills and other cooking equipment, which the lawsuit argues poses a risk to consumers since the bristles can detach during regular, intended use.

Soule notes that consumers have complained to Weber, government safety agencies and retailers for years about the defective and dangerous design of the grill brushes. However, Weber continued to make multiple versions of the same metal-bristled brush.

“Defendants concealed and continue to conceal their knowledge of Weber brushes and their unreasonably dangerous risks from Plaintiff, other consumers, and the appropriate safety and regulatory authorities. Specifically, Defendants failed to adequately inform consumers and the Plaintiff about the magnified risk of metal wires and fragments breaking off from the brush and coming into unwanted contact with users.”

— Steven Soule v. Weber Inc. et al

The lawsuit raises allegations of violation of the Florida deceptive and unfair trade practices act, negligent misrepresentation, design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, strict liability, negligence, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, and breach of express warranty. Soule is seeking compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other damages.

Weber Grill Brush Lawsuits

Design defects and the unsafe nature of the wire brush products have led to a number of personal injury and Weber grill brush class action lawsuits. Complaints indicate consumers had a reasonable expectation the grill brushes would be safe when used under normal conditions.

One case, filed on behalf of an infant, alleges the child swallowed a metal bristle that had detached from the brush and become lodged in his food. The bristle then became stuck in the infant’s digestive tract, requiring medical intervention. According to the lawsuit, the incident has caused ongoing difficulty swallowing and the need for continued medical treatment.

A separate Weber personal injury lawsuit claims a metal bristle became lodged in a New Jersey man’s pancreas, requiring emergency medical treatment.

In both of those cases and others, plaintiffs allege Weber knew about the danger of bristles detaching from their brushes, yet failed to disclose the risk to consumers prior to the 2026 recall, resulting in these and additional injuries.

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