Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Update: Injuries, Recall Status, and Legal Options

A Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker, model PC501, is the subject of attorney investigations. Attorneys are investigating burn injuries when its lid opened before pressure had fully vented. HSN sold the cooker in 2001-2002, and QVC sold it in 2001. HSN received 43 reports that the lid opened prematurely, causing 37 burn injuries, with at least four third-degree burns. Both retailers recalled the cooker. CPSC later fined HSN $875,000 for reporting those hazards late. No lawsuit, class action, or multidistrict litigation has been filed against Welbilt, HSN, QVC, or the manufacturer over these injuries. This page tracks an attorney investigation only, alongside the product’s recall history.

Latest Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Updates

December 27, 2007: CPSC Fines HSN $875,000 over Late Hazard Reporting

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that HSN LP, the former Home Shopping Network, agreed to pay a civil penalty. The penalty was $875,000, over the Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker [1]. The fine settled allegations that HSN failed to promptly report at least 25 consumer hazard reports about the pressure cookers. HSN received those reports between September 2001 and about October 2004, and it denied violating the Consumer Product Safety Act.

June 14, 2006: QVC Recalls About 900 Welbilt Pressure Cookers

QVC Inc. voluntarily recalled about 900 Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers, model PC501, that it had sold from March through April 2001 [2]. QVC had no injury reports of its own tied to the recall. It acted after another retailer, HSN, had already reported the same lid-opening failures. Those failures included burn injuries for the identical PC501 model, with the full figures in Reported Injuries or Damages.

June 3, 2005: CPSC and HSN Recall About 3,900 Welbilt Pressure Cookers

The CPSC and HSN LP recalled about 3,900 Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers, model PC501 [3]. The recall followed HSN’s own reports that the lid opened before pressure had fully vented. The full figures appear under Reported Injuries or Damages below. The recall covered units HSN sold by phone, online, and in Florida and Virginia stores. CPSC’s 2007 release also mentions an October 2005 recall of the same cookers.

Who May Be Affected?

You may be affected if you bought or used a Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker, model PC501. You are affected if it also burned you. The lid can open before the contents have fully depressurized. HSN sold the cooker from September 2001 through November 2002. It also sold through its retail and employee stores in Florida and Virginia. QVC sold it from March through April 2001. Anyone who used one of these units during either sale period may match those circumstances. A match also requires a scald or third-degree burn. CPSC’s two recall notices describe them. An individual legal review is the only way to confirm whether a specific incident from either sale period supports a claim.

Reported Injuries or Damages

HSN’s own reports, cited in both recall notices, describe 43 reports that the lid opened prematurely under pressure. Those reports produced 37 burn injuries, with at least four third-degree burns. QVC’s 2006 recall recorded zero injuries among its own customers. QVC’s decision followed HSN’s earlier reports of the same lid-opening hazard for the identical PC501 model. CPSC’s 2007 civil-penalty release states HSN received at least 25 hazard or defect reports from consumers. Those reports came in between September 2001 and about October 2004. HSN reported them to CPSC in February 2005. According to MedlinePlus, a third-degree burn damages or destroys the deepest layer of skin and the tissue underneath it [4]. It may also require skin grafting.

Recall and Regulatory Background

Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers, model PC501, were the subject of two CPSC recalls. Both recalls cited the same hazard: the lid could open before internal pressure had fully vented, letting hot contents escape. HSN recalled about 3,900 units in June 2005, and QVC recalled about 900 units in June 2006. Both recalls offered a refund of the purchase price. HSN separately paid CPSC an $875,000 civil penalty in December 2007 over its delay in reporting the hazard. The manufacturer, DRECO, Ltd. of Korea, was not itself named in either recall’s remedy.

Evidence to Preserve

If you were burned by a Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker, save the following evidence before you speak with a lawyer:

• The pressure cooker itself, including the PC501 model markings near the control panel. Also note markings on the bottom and on the instruction label
• Your original HSN or QVC purchase receipt, order confirmation, or credit card statement showing when and where you bought it
• Clear photographs of the burn injury and of the cooker’s condition, taken as soon as possible after the incident happened
• Medical records, bills, and treatment notes from every doctor or hospital visit connected to the burn injury. This includes any follow-up care
• Any correspondence with HSN, QVC, the manufacturer, or CPSC about the incident, the recall, a refund request, or your reported injury

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines for a product-injury claim are set by state law, not by this page. No single number applies nationwide. They vary with where you live and with when your injury and its diagnosis happened. Even strong facts cannot save a claim once its deadline passes. These injuries happened in 2001 and 2002. Anyone considering a claim should check with a lawyer promptly to learn which deadline applies.

Potential Compensation

If a Welbilt pressure cooker burn claim is supported by the facts, potential compensation could cover several categories of loss. These include medical expenses for burn treatment such as skin grafting, pain and suffering, permanent scarring or disfigurement, and lost income during recovery. No lawsuit, settlement, or verdict has been reported for this product. None of these categories is guaranteed, and no dollar figure can be estimated in advance. Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Only an individual case review can say which categories of potential compensation apply to a specific claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Have a Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker Lawsuit?

You may have a claim, though not yet a filed lawsuit, over a Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker burn. No case has been filed yet. Attorneys are reviewing the CPSC’s two recalls and 2007 penalty against HSN. That review may support an individual claim for burns like these.

Who Made the Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker?

The Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker, model PC501, was made by DRECO, Ltd. of Korea, formerly known as DaeRyuk Electronics, Ltd. HSN purchased the units from Appliance Company of America of Great Neck, New York. It resold them through its shopping channel and retail stores.

How Much Did the Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker Cost?

The Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker sold for about $100 through HSN’s toll-free number and website. HSN’s Florida and Virginia stores charged $30 to $35. QVC sold it for at least $120. None of these prices reflect the product’s later recall.

Is There a Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker Lawsuit MDL?

No Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cooker Lawsuit MDL exists. Because no lawsuit has been filed, there is nothing yet to consolidate. Anyone burned by the cooker would need to pursue a claim individually rather than as part of a group case.

Where Can I Report a Welbilt Pressure Cooker Injury?

You can report a Welbilt pressure cooker injury to CPSC’s SaferProducts.gov site or its consumer hotline. You can also report it to HSN or QVC using the contact information in their recall notices. That helps preserve a record of the incident.

Do I Need a Lawyer to Pursue a Welbilt Pressure Cooker Claim?

You do not strictly need a lawyer to pursue a Welbilt pressure cooker claim, but most people use one. A lawyer can gather evidence like PC501 model markings, purchase records, and medical records. A lawyer can also assess whether your burn and timing support a claim.

References

1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2008/Shopping-Channel-HSN-Agrees-to-Pay-875000-Civil-Penalty
2. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2006/electronic-pressure-cookers-sold-by-qvc-recalled-due-to-burn-hazard
3. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2005/cpsc-hsn-lp-announce-recall-of-welbilt-electronic-pressure-cookers
4. https://medlineplus.gov/burns.html