Instant Pot Smart-60 Lawsuit Update: Injuries, Recall Status, and Legal Options

Two lawsuits accuse Instant Brands, Inc. and Amazon.com, Inc. of selling a defective Instant Pot Smart-60 pressure cooker. Both complaints allege the lid could be opened while still pressurized, letting scalding contents burn the user. One suit was filed in the Northern District of Illinois in March 2023 on behalf of an adult. The other was filed in the Middle District of Florida in April 2025 on behalf of a two-year-old child. Neither case has been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation. The same Smart-60 line was separately recalled in 2015 for an unrelated shock hazard. Anyone hurt by either issue should preserve the unit and their records.

Latest Instant Pot Smart-60 Lawsuit Updates

September 1, 2026: No MDL yet for the Instant Pot Smart-60

The JPML‘s pending-MDL report, dated that day, still did not list an Instant Pot or pressure-cooker proceeding [1]. No MDL has ever been opened for the product. Because no MDL exists, the two Smart-60 burn lawsuits continue to move separately in their own federal courts, each on its own schedule. They do not share pretrial discovery with other plaintiffs who allege the same lid defect.

April 8, 2025: Complaint Filed over a Child’s Burn Injury

A complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Case No. 6:25-cv-00618, on behalf of V.P., a child injured at age two [2]. The complaint alleges her Instant Pot Smart-60‘s lid was rotated open while the cooker was still pressurized on May 5, 2023, ejecting scalding contents that burned her. It names Amazon.com, Inc. and seeks damages over $75,000 plus punitive damages.

March 29, 2023: Suit Filed over an Adult Consumer’s Burns

Suzette Wilder filed suit against Instant Brands, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Case No. 1:23-cv-01964, assigned to U.S. District Judge John Joseph Tharp Jr. [3]. The suit alleges the same lid-under-pressure defect as the 2025 complaint: that a Smart-60’s lid could be twisted open before the pressure fully released, spraying scalding contents onto the user.

July 15, 2015: CPSC Recalls the Smart and Smart-60 for a Shock Hazard

The CPSC recall notice, number 15-741, covered about 1,000 U.S. units and 140 Canadian units of the Instant Pot “Smart” and “Smart-60” pressure cookers [4]. Three consumers reported electric shocks from the base’s thermal probe. Instant Pot offered affected owners a free replacement base, and the notice remains published on cpsc.gov, unchanged, as of September 2026. It does not include the Duo Nova or any other Instant Pot model.

Who May Be Affected?

Owners and users of an Instant Pot Smart-60 or earlier Smart model match the circumstances both complaints describe. Both describe a burn when the lid released or came off while still pressurized and venting hot contents. The 2025 complaint’s plaintiff was a two-year-old child. The 2023 complaint’s plaintiff was an adult consumer, so the alleged defect is not limited to one age group or use pattern. Anyone shocked by a recalled Smart or Smart-60 unit’s base matches a separate circumstance. That applies if the shock happened before they received Instant Pot’s free replacement base under the 2015 CPSC recall. Because every case depends on its own facts – the 2015 recall’s shock hazard is a different theory from the burn claims above – only an individual legal review can confirm whether an injury fits either theory.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The 2023 and 2025 complaints both allege serious burn injuries after scalding contents were ejected while an Instant Pot Smart-60’s lid was open under pressure. The 2025 plaintiff was two years old on May 5, 2023, the date of her alleged injury. The 2023 plaintiff was an adult consumer. Complaint allegations describe what each plaintiff claims happened. They are not findings a court has made, and neither company has filed a public response yet. Separately, the CPSC’s earlier notice recorded three consumer reports of electric shock from the base’s thermal probe – a different hazard than the burn claims above. None of these accounts describes a death. A report of an incident is not proof that a product caused it.

Recall and Regulatory Background

The Instant Pot “Smart” and “Smart-60” pressure cookers were separately recalled by the CPSC in 2015 for a shock hazard, detailed in the July 15, 2015 update above. That recall’s shock-hazard theory is unrelated to the lid-under-pressure burn claims in the two pending lawsuits, and it does not establish liability for those later claims.

Evidence to Preserve

Keep the following if an Instant Pot Smart-60 caused a burn or a shock, and do not repair, alter, discard, or return the unit before it is examined – doing so can destroy evidence of the defect:

• The pressure cooker itself, including the lid, base, sealing ring, and pressure-release valve
• The product label showing the model name and serial number
• Purchase records or receipts showing when and where it was bought
• Photographs of the unit and of any injury
• Medical records and bills related to treatment
• Any communications with Instant Pot, Instant Brands, Amazon, or the CPSC about the incident

Keep these together in one place before contacting anyone about the incident. That makes it easier for a lawyer or an insurer to review the facts later.

Filing Deadlines

Every state sets its own time limit for filing a lawsuit like the two described above, and that limit is strict. That window is not fixed: it depends on where the injured person lives and on when the burn, the shock, or a related diagnosis occurred. Missing the applicable date can end a claim even when the facts are strong, so anyone considering one should speak with a lawyer promptly.

Potential Compensation

Categories that may apply in a claim like these two include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and property loss. Which ones apply depends on the case’s facts. Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. A lawyer can explain which potential compensation categories might fit a specific case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There an Instant Pot Smart-60 Recall?

Yes, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall (number 15-741) covers about 1,000 U.S. and 140 Canadian Instant Pot Smart and Smart-60 units for a shock hazard. Owners can request a free replacement base by calling Instant Pot at (800) 828-7280 or visiting its website.

Is There a Class Action or MDL for the Instant Pot Smart-60?

No, there is no class action or MDL for the Instant Pot Smart-60 yet. Since January 1, 2024, the JPML has issued its pending-MDL report on the first business day of each month. Its September 1, 2026 edition lists no multidistrict proceeding for the product.

What Is the Remedy for the Instant Pot Smart-60 Recall?

The remedy for the Instant Pot Smart-60 recall is a free replacement base that includes the entire bottom of the cooker and its control panel. It applies to units in the recalled serial range, 1410 to 1503, with manufacture dates from December 2014 to June 2015.

What Do the Instant Pot Smart-60 Burn Lawsuits Allege?

The Instant Pot Smart-60 burn lawsuits allege the cooker’s lid could be twisted open even though the unit was still holding pressure. That let hot contents spray onto the user. The 2023 case traces its plaintiff’s injury back to April 2021, about two years before the suit was filed.

Who Originally Imported the Instant Pot Smart-60 Pressure Cooker?

Double Insight Inc. of Canada originally imported the Instant Pot Smart-60 pressure cooker in 2015, according to the CPSC’s recall notice. The brand is now owned by Instant Brands, Inc., the defendant Suzette Wilder sued over the same product line.

Why Does the 2025 Lawsuit Name Amazon.com Instead of Instant Brands?

The 2025 lawsuit names Amazon.com instead of Instant Brands because Instant Brands, Inc. was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Case No. 4:2023-bk-90716. An automatic stay was in place when the case was filed, and that generally pauses new lawsuits against the bankrupt company itself.

References

1. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/pending-mdls-0
2. https://dailyhornet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Instant-Pot-Smart-60-Pressure-Cooker-Lawsuit.pdf
3. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67105384/wilder-v-instant-brands-inc/
4. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2015/Instant-Pot-Pressure-Cookers-Recalled-by-Double-Insight