Tristar Power Quick Pot Multi Cooker Lawsuit Attorney

What is a Quick Pot?

A Tristar Power Tristar Power Quick Pot is a multi-cooker that combines the functions of a Tristar pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and yogurt maker in one. The Tristar Power Quick Pot Multi Cooker has a manual program, a stainless steel cooking pot, and a range of cooking functions to cook different foods.

How Do Electric Pressure Cookers Explode?

Electric pressure cookers themselves don’t explode and typically aren’t harmful products. In Tristar pressure cooker explosion lawsuits, the term “explosion” refers to the scalding foods or liquids ejected from defective pressure cookers that burn or injure nearby people. In some cases, pressure has caused lids to explode off cookers and hit people.

Normally, safety mechanisms are supposed to prevent the lids of Tristar Power Quick Pot Multi Cooker from detaching while contents are under pressure. People injured by Tristar pressure cookers allege that defects in safety mechanisms may allow the lid to open or detach while the food or liquid inside is still pressurized.

Related Article: Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Update

Injuries

• Severe burns
• Hot steam burns
• Second-degree burns
• Third-degree burns
• Eye injuries and blindness
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Scalds
• Permanent scarring
• Disfigurement
• Emergency medical treatment
• Kitchen and/or property damage

Tristar Power Quick Pot Multi Cooker Lawsuits Allege Defective Design & Safety Features

Internal temperatures in a Tristar pressure cooker can reach up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Safety features built into Nuwave pressure cookers are supposed to prevent pressure cookers from becoming home safety hazards; however, Tristar pressure cooker class action lawsuits claim defective product design and safety features led to explosions creating a false sense of security.

Safety features that may be defective on a power pressure cooker include:

• Silicone rings or gaskets - These seals around the lip of the pot are supposed to keep steam and pressure from escaping. Faulty gaskets or seals may allow the lid to open despite pressure buildup.
• Safe-lock lids - These lids are supposed to prevent pressure from building when not properly sealed and prevent the lids from opening if the pressure hasn’t been released.
• Sensors - Sensors keep the pressure and heat in a safe range. They usually warn people when it is too high or the cooker becomes too hot.
• Pressure release valve - More than one pressure valve traps and allows steam and pressure to escape safely. Faulty valves may lead to unsafe build-in pressure.

Related Article: Why Do Pressure Cookers Explode?

Lawsuit Alleges Faulty Power Pressure Cooker Burned Mother, Daughter

An Arkansas woman who claims that severe burns she and her daughter sustained were the result of a defective power pressure cooker has sued the product's maker.

Plaintiff Amesiah Thomas spent more than an hour preparing food in an Ultrex 8-quart pressure cooker, after which she removed the cooker from the stove and left it until the pressure indicator showed the cooker to be at a normal position.

However, Thomas claims that when she began to open the power pressure cooker lid, the top portion separated from the bottom portion, causing steam, hot water, and food to spray her and her daughter. As a result of the incident, Thomas and her daughter experienced severe burn injuries.

Alleging defective design, Thomas, individually and as the next friend of Amoyia Gentry, filed suit against Innova Inc. in August 2008 in the Texarkana Division of the Western District of Arkansas.

Thomas states she acquired the cooker model 42018K before Jan. 1, 2006, but that it was defectively designed and manufactured at the time she received it.

The suit alleges strict product liability and breach of warranty, by arguing that a safer alternative design would have prohibited the incident from occurring.

"The pressure cooker was defective and unreasonably dangerous as manufactured in that it separated under pressure when the pressure indicator showed that it was safe to open the pressure cooker," the complaint states.

Thomas accuses Innovia of being negligent for failing to properly design or manufacture the cooker, failing to incorporate a safer design, and placing the cooker on the market without warning or adequately warning the user of the product that it might be under pressure when the indicator had returned to a safe position.

The plaintiff is seeking damages for physical pain, suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, physical scarring, disfigurement, loss of wages, and loss of earning capacity.

Electric Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Filed in Illinois

A woman who was burned by an Instant Brands Cook’s Essentials Pressure Cooker has filed a lawsuit against QVC and IC Marks Inc. in the Northern District of Illinois.

The complaint was filed by Plaintiff Theresa Ann S., a woman who purchased her Instant Pot Cook’s Essentials 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker (Model Number CEPC6005) from the QVC Home Shopping TV Channel.

Unfortunately, she was severely burned when the pressure cooker exploded in July 2019, according to the lawsuit. Plaintiff claims her injuries occurred due to the “pressure cooker’s lid suddenly and unexpectedly exploding off the pressure cooker’s pot.”

Additionally, Theresa was able to easily twist open the lid with normal force when the exploding pressure cooker was still pressurized. The explosion caused its “scalding-hot contents to be forcefully ejected from the pressure cooker and onto the Plaintiff,” according to the complaint.

The Pressure Cooker Lawsuit was filed on June 29, 2021, against IC Marks Inc. and QVC Inc. (d/b/a Cook’s Essentials) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Eastern Division) — Case Number 1-21-CV-03469.

Tips for Using Pressure Cookers Safely

• Inspect the Pressure Cooker Before Cooking – The rubber gasket between the instant pot and lid is critical to the proper functioning of a pressure cooker. Before cooking, ensure the gasket is clean and is not cracked or dried out. Some manufacturers suggest replacing the rubber gasket once a year, depending on how frequently you use your pressure cooker.
• Don’t Overfill the Pressure Cooker – A pressure cooker should never be over two-thirds full. This is to prevent food from blocking the vents in the lid of the cooker. For foods that swell or froth (i.e. beans, rice, pasta), only fill the cooker halfway.
• Use Enough Liquid – Pressure cookers are designed to cook food by using steam under extreme pressure. Steam cannot be created without some form of liquid. At least half a cup of liquid is needed to create enough steam to properly use the cooker.
• Be Mindful of the Type of Food Being Cooked – Froth produced during the cooking process by certain foods (i.e. pasta, split peas, oatmeal, applesauce, and cranberries) can block the steam valves and vents of the cooker. Before cooking these foods in a pressure cooker, ensure your recipe calls for the same size cooker as yours, and do not overfill the cooker. Never fry food in a standard pressure cooker. Some pressure cookers are specifically designed for frying. A small amount of oil can be included in a recipe, but frying in a cooker that is not made for frying can melt the gasket and other parts.
• Release Pressure in a Safe Way – Pressure can be released in three ways: Natural release by removing the cooker from heat and allowing it to sit until the pressure reduces; cold water release by running cold water over the lid of the closed cooker; or quick release by using the steam release valve to expel steam. Always be sure to protect your face, hands, and body when releasing pressure, and remember that steam may still escape when opening the pressure cooker—even if you believe you have properly released the pressure.
• Clean the Cooker Properly – When you have finished using your pressure cooker, remove the gasket and clean it separately from other parts of the cooker. Clean out the release valve with a toothpick. To reduce unnecessary wear on the gasket, store your cooker with the lid upside down on the instant pot rather than locked in place.

How a Product Liability Lawyer Can Help Victims Injured By Pressure Cooker Burn Injuries

Federal and state laws ensure that if it is discovered that a product was so dangerous that it led to a person’s bodily injury or death, the manufacturer will be held liable.

For the manufacturer to be held strictly liable for a defective product, we would generally have to show that the product was unreasonably dangerous and that there was a defect in its design, manufacturing, or marketing. A pressure cooker with safety features should not open easily while still pressurized.

Our team of product liability attorneys at Schmidt & Clark, LLP, advocates for consumer safety and the production of safer products. We believe that the manufacturer of a defective product should be held accountable if your pressure cooker exploded.

Related Articles:

• Prestige Pressure Cooker Suit
• QVC Electric Pressure Cooker Lawyer
• Ultrex Pressure Cooker Lawsuit

See the other product liability litigations our attorneys have covered.

Get a Free Tristar Power Quick Pot Multi Cooker Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Lawyers

The Product Liability Litigation Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP law firm is an experienced team of jury trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Tristar Power Quick Pot Multi Cooker Lawsuit. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently representing consumers in pressure cooker explosion cases in all 50 states.

Free Confidential Tristar Power Quick Pot Multi Cooker Lawsuit Evaluation: Again, if you or a loved one suffered serious burns or other serious injuries caused by a defective pressure cooker, you should contact our law firm immediately for a free review of your legal rights and potential case. You may be entitled to a pressure cooker settlement and a lawyer can help.