With more people starting to realize the relevance of a healthy diet, it is only natural for them to choose convenient, fast, and safe means to cook a wholesome platter at home. Typically, most people do that by opting for a pressure cooker so that they can make their favorite tasty and nutritious meals. But often, this adds a certain danger to one’s life since there have been several pressure cooker accidents recently.

Pressure cooker accidents often result in severe injuries that range from skin scars to painful burns, eye injuries, and even traumatic brain injuries. It often affects people’s vision and ability to move out and earn a living. Sometimes, the burns are so severe that it takes years to heal. In cases of face burns, people might lose out on their confidence to face the world.

In this article, we will delve into injuries caused by pressure cooker explosions and how the victim can opt for legal help.

Pressure Cooker Explosions: Is It Possible?

People often ask–can a pressure cooker explode? The answer is yes, and it makes the scalding hot content eject out to anyone present close by. Pressure cookers use a blend of steam and heat to generate the correct pressure that cooks the food fast and well. It ensures that the food cooked is tasty, but also leaves a scope for an explosion.

The pressure built into the cooker needs to be regulated and controlled for safety. When the pressure increases automatically, the steam pushes towards the cooker top, where it needs to get vented correctly. In an untoward situation, the increased pressure will push the lid off and then expel the hot contents inside the cooker.

Almost every pressure cooker from any popular brand advertises certain safety features installed that can successfully withstand any increased pressure. These features are also said to stop the lid from getting opened until the pressure is completely released. However, there are times when the safety features don’t work as claimed, which leads to several injuries.

Pressure Cooker Explosion: How Hannah Frazier Got Injured?

In June 2023, AboutLawsuits.com shared the story of Hannah Frazier, a Tennessee woman who suffered after using a Breville pressure cooker and filed a product liability suit. She used this cooker for cooking in June 2022 and suffered from severe injuries. Once the cooking was done, Hannah said that she opened the cooker’s pressure release valve and waited for a long time so that the steam could be released.

When she saw that steam was getting released gradually, Fraizer pressed yet another button that the cooker had which aimed to release the steam manually. When she felt that the entire steam was about to be released, she attempted to remove the cooker’s lid. This attempt failed miserably by blowing off with excess force, thereby spraying her with heated steam and liquid.

In her lawsuit, Hannah claims that Breville must have known about the safety feature issues present in the cooker. Despite that, they didn’t warn their consumers, nor did they redesign the cooker so that people using this product are safe. Her lawsuit presents claims related to breach of warranty and negligence. As a result, she is seeking both punitive and compensatory damage.

Injuries from Pressure Cooker Explosion

A pressure cooker accident can lead to several types of injuries. Some of the common ones include:

Burn Injuries

The pressure cooker explosions result in third-degree burns. Once the appliance explodes, the hot steam and liquid can be released rather forcefully and lead to painful burns. These burns can affect various skin layers and result in:

There are times when the burns can lead to permanent disability and disfigurement. The healing process might need skin grafts.

Scald Injuries

Users must ensure that the pressure cooker is completely depressurized before it’s opened to avoid injuries. Any scald injury takes place when hot steam or liquid escapes from the cooker and touches the user’s skin.

Keep the following things in mind to prevent scald injuries:

  • Let the pressure cool down after you have finished cooking. When you force open it, the chances of scalding accidents are higher.
  • Make sure that you stay at a distance from steam release valves when the cooker releases pressure. It is because the steam can lead to excess burns when it touches your skin.
  • You must use heat-resistant gloves and oven mitts when you are holding a hot cooker. It will keep your hands from developing scalding burns.
  • Make sure to open a pressure cooker, keeping it at a distance from your body and face, to avoid a sudden release of the hot liquid or steam, which can result in scald injuries.

Shrapnel Injuries

Often, a pressure cooker explosion can result in sharp metal pieces flying in every direction. It is called shrapnel and can lead to extreme injuries for anyone who is close by. An explosion can take place because of problems linked to excess pressure in the cooker or even faulty gaskets.

The explosion force can make the shrapnel eject at high speeds, which can result in lacerations, deep cuts, and puncture wounds. It can also lead to internal injuries, such as internal bleeding and organ damage.

Seeking Legal Help

People who have faced and survived a pressure cooker explosion might have to pay medical bills to treat their injuries. Immediate medical attention is necessary, as the burns can cause much pain and lead to infection if not treated very well. Once you have received the medical care that you need, it is essential to seek legal assistance by filing a lawsuit.

TorHoerman Law states that it is necessary to get in touch with an expert lawyer who can help you get fair compensation to cover all the damages and suffering you’ve endured.

For that, victims of pressure cooker explosions must preserve all medical documents, records, bills, and pictures of the defective cooker parts and their injuries and share them with the lawyer to develop a strong case and present it in court. It will ensure that the verdict is in your favor.

Finally, it is necessary to be aware of the fact that even pressure cookers from a popular and reputed brand can explode because of incorrect cooking tactics or defective parts. In either case, it is necessary to address the injuries with the correct medical treatment and care. After that, you can walk the legal path with the help of a lawyer to get justice and the monetary compensation that you deserve.