Instant Pot Explosion Lawsuit – How to Bring a Claim

Instant Pot electric pressure cookers, made by Instant Brands, face burn lawsuits over their lids. Plaintiffs allege the lid can open while the cooker is under pressure. They say hot food is then ejected and causes second- and third-degree burns.

The cases are individual product-liability suits and one putative class action filed in federal court in Illinois in 2022. No MDL has been formed. The CPSC lists no Instant Pot pressure cooker recall.

Instant Brands has also been through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The claims in these cases are allegations, and no court has found a defect.

Latest Instant Pot Explosion Lawsuit Updates

September 1, 2026: Texas Judge Limits Suit Against Instant Brands Trustee

A Texas bankruptcy judge told former Instant Brands owner Cornell Capital to get his permission before suing the Instant Pot maker’s litigation trustee. The order blocks a suit Cornell filed in Delaware Chancery Court in July [1].

It concerns a corporate dispute over the trustee and does not rule on any burn injury claim brought against Instant Brands.

February 22, 2024: Court Approves Instant Brands Restructuring Plan

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas approved a restructuring plan for Instant Brands, the maker of the Instant Pot, the company announced. Retail Dive reported the approval [2].

Under the plan, lenders take ownership of the business, which sells Instant Pot pressure cookers. The approval came about eight months after Instant Brands filed for bankruptcy protection in the same court.

October 26, 2023: CPSC Announces Best Buy Insignia Pressure Cooker Recall

The CPSC announced that Best Buy recalled about 930,000 Insignia pressure cookers, recall number 24-013. They were sold from October 2017 through June 2023 for between $50 and $120 [3].

The recalled units are 6-quart and 8-quart multi-function pressure cookers. The CPSC said incorrect volume markings can lead to overfilling and hot food being ejected.

June 12, 2023: Instant Brands Files for Chapter 11

Instant Brands, maker of the Instant Pot, filed for Chapter 11 protection in the Southern District of Texas, CBS News reported [4].

The burn lawsuits on this page target the Instant Pot electric pressure cookers that Instant Brands makes, and they allege lid failures.

January 3, 2023: Indiana Resident Sues over Duo Nova Burns

An Indiana resident filed a federal product-liability suit alleging his Instant Pot Duo Nova exploded and burned him. KHTS reported the filing [5].

The complaint alleges the malfunction happened in January 2021 and that Instant Brands either knew or should have known of the problem. This is only an allegation.

What Is an Instant Pot Explosion?

According to the CPSC, a recalled Crock-Pot multi-cooker can pressurize when the lid is not fully locked. This can cause the lid to suddenly detach, posing burn risks from hot food and liquids ejected from the product [6].

The Instant Pot lawsuits allege a lid failure of this kind, where the lid opens and hot contents are ejected.

Who May Be Affected?

You may be affected if an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker burned you when the lid opened or the contents were ejected under pressure.

The Havens class action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois as No. 1:22-cv-02909. Plaintiffs Michelle Havens and Elsie Wilkerson seek a nationwide class of buyers since Sept. 27, 2013.

They allege the lid-locking assembly is dangerously defective and that Instant Brands has known of the problem since at least 2016. Their claims include fraud by omission, unjust enrichment and violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Whether your facts support a claim depends on an individual legal review of your cooker, injury and dates. A review looks at how the lid failed, when you were burned and where you live.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The Havens class action alleges second- and third-degree burns from hot contents ejected when the lid opens under pressure. The Indiana complaint alleges extensive burns and lasting injuries.

Regulator reports concern other brands. The CPSC notice on the Insignia cookers lists 31 reports of contents expelled under pressure, including 17 burn injuries, some second-degree and severe.

In the Crock-Pot recall, Sunbeam reported 119 lid detachments resulting in 99 burn injuries. Reports like these do not prove the product caused every incident.

A burn-center retrospective study by Tuzun and Tas in Turkey covered January 2016 to December 2024. It found 41 of 3,410 burn-center admissions (1.2%) were pressure-cooker burns, and 92.7% of those burns were second-degree [7].

Most burns hit the head and neck (65.9%) and the anterior chest (61%). The study covers a single center and is not a US count.

Recall and Regulatory Background

The CPSC has announced a recall of another brand’s pressure cookers: Sunbeam recalled Crock-Pot 6-quart Express Crock multi-cookers on November 24, 2020. A recall does not prove liability.

Evidence to Preserve

Evidence can disappear quickly after an accident. Keep these items if an Instant Pot burned you:

• The cooker itself, with its lid, gasket and inner pot
• The model number, serial number and date code
• Proof of purchase and the name of the seller
• Photographs of the cooker, the scene and your injuries
• Medical records and bills
• Names and contact details of any witnesses
• Messages with Instant Brands or the retailer

Write down what you were cooking and what happened while you still remember it. Photographs help most when you take them before the cooker is cleaned or moved.

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines come from state law. The rules differ by location, and the clock can depend on the date of the burn and the date you learned of the injury.

Talk to a lawyer promptly about which deadline applies to your cooker burn, your state and your dates, so you do not miss it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There an Instant Pot Explosion Lawsuit?

Yes, there is an Instant Pot explosion lawsuit. The Havens class action against Instant Brands also seeks two state subclasses, one for Florida and one for California. Plaintiffs plead these claims as allegations only.

Was There a Recall of Instant Pot Pressure Cookers?

Instant Pot has not recalled its pressure cookers. A related CPSC notice on the Insignia pressure cooker, which is a Best Buy brand and not an Instant Pot, was last updated on March 25, 2025.

What Does the Research Say About Pressure Cooker Burns?

Research on pressure cooker burns includes a Turkish burn-center study by Tuzun and Tas, published in Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg in 2026. It found delayed hospital presentation was significantly associated with a greater need for surgical intervention.

Can Quick Release Venting Cause Pressure Cooker Burns?

Quick release venting is one way the CPSC’s Insignia notice describes hot food being ejected from a pressure cooker. It also describes food ejected when the cooker is opened while its contents are pressurized.

References

1. https://www.law360.com/articles/2520298/instant-brands-judge-stops-delaware-suit-against-trustee
2. https://www.retaildive.com/news/bankruptcy-court-instant-brands-restructuring-plan-approval/708361/
3. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/Best-Buy-Recalls-Insignia-Pressure-Cookers-Due-to-Burn-Hazard
4. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/instant-pot-bankruptcy-instant-brands-chapter-11/
5. https://www.hometownstation.com/featured-stories/burn-injuries-lead-to-lawsuit-against-instant-pot-duo-nova-pressure-cooker-for-safety-failures-512180
6. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Crock-Pot-6-Quart-Express-Crock-Multi-Cookers-Recalled-by-Sunbeam-Products-Due-to-Burn-Hazard
7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13254451/