Blankingship & Keith partners Juli Porto and Rob Stoney settle an exploding pressure cooker case.
Plaintiffs were a young woman who suffered burns when a pressure cooker she was using exploded and her husband (New Jersey allows loss of consortium claims). The cooker was manufactured in China and purchased in Florida. The case was filed in Bergen County, New Jersey, the location of the manufacturer’s principal places of business.
The young woman suffered burns across her face, right ear, neck, chest and torso. Keloids formed in several places and laser surgery was required to minimize them.
The cooker was advertised as not being able to be opened while still under pressure, but defendants contended that the woman was negligent in failing to follow the user’s manual. Plaintiff’s counsel had the cooker X-rayed, however, which showed a slightly bent link inside the locking mechanism of the cooker. Plaintiff’s experts opined that this defect is what allowed the cooker to open as it did under pressure.