Update: Sunbeam Recalls Nearly 1 Million Crock Pots Over Burn Hazard
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) on Nov. 24, 2020, announced the recall for 914,430 Sunbeam Crock-Pot® 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cookers which can pressurize when the lid is not fully locked. “This can cause the lid to suddenly detach while the product is in use, posing burn risks to consumers from hot food and liquids ejected from the product,” CPSC said. Sunbeam issued the recall after receiving 119 reports of lid detachment, resulting in 99 burn injuries ranging in severity from first-degree to third-degree burns. The recalled crock pots were sold at Walmart, Target and other retail stores nationwide and online from July 2017 through November 2020 for between $70 to $100.
What is a Crock-Pot?
Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cookers are slow cooking devices that use heat which builds from the base of the cooker to the sides, cooking the food inside. The appliances are ergonomic, easy to use, and cook meals with very little effort, making them popular with consumers on the go.
What’s the Problem?
Crock-Pots produce high levels of steam, which requires that their steam expelling mechanism be designed in a way that it is not in contact with the cook’s eyes or body. Hot steam can cause severe blisters, eye damage, and even blindness. Lawsuits have alleged that Crock-Pots are defectively designed, increasing the risk of these serious injuries.
Crock-Pots also contain complex circuitry in their electronic dashboards and heating elements, which requires the devices to be made with the highest precision and care. However, reports have surfaced of Crock-Pots being sold with handles made with shoddy materials that can break during use, causing them to crash to the floor, throwing glass and hot liquids onto people nearby.
Crock-Pot Injuries
- Severe burns
- Scalding
- Blisters
- Electrocution
- Nerve damage
- Eye injuries
- Internal injuries (if glass shards fall into food)
- And more
Has a Class Action Been Filed?
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Sunbeam Products Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions on behalf of a group of consumers alleging that their Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cookers exploded due to a design defect. Plaintiff Kimberly Rife claims that in Jan. 2018 she suffered first and second-degree burns when her Crock-Pot malfunctioned and exploded, despite her using the slow cooker as directed.
“When she easily twisted and opened the lid, the scalding hot contents exploded out of the pot, spraying her hand, wrist and stomach, and her surrounding kitchen area,” the complaint states. The class action alleges that Crock-Pots were designed with a defect that occurs when extreme pressure builds up inside the product, causing the hot contents to “burst and erupt” when the lid is opened by the user. The lawsuit affects “all Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cooker models sold by Sunbeam, including without limitation, Model Number SCCPPC600-V1.”
Do I Have a Crock-Pot Class Action Lawsuit?
The Products Liability Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Crock-Pot Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a Crock-Pot, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.