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Sunbeam Products, Inc. of Boca Raton, Florida recalled approximately 914,430 Crock-Pot 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cookers in the United States and 28,330 units in Canada on November 24, 2020. The recall (CPSC 21-035) followed 119 reports of lid detachment incidents resulting in 99 burn injuries ranging from first-degree to third-degree burns. The defective pressure cookers can pressurize when the lid is not fully locked, causing the lid to suddenly detach during use and eject scalding food and liquids onto users.
Product Description
The recalled Crock-Pot 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cookers bear Model Number SCCPPC600-V1, located on a label on the bottom of the unit. The multi-cookers were manufactured between July 1, 2017 and October 1, 2018, with date codes K196JN through K365JN and L001JN through L273JN. The date code is engraved on one of the prongs of the electrical plug and on the bottom of the base. These units were sold at Walmart, Target, and other retail stores nationwide, as well as online at Amazon and other retailers from July 2017 through November 2020 for between $70 and $100.
Hazard and Injuries
The recalled Crock-Pot multi-cooker can build up dangerous pressure when the lid is not fully locked into position. This design defect allows the lid to suddenly detach while the product is in use, spraying users with scalding hot food and liquids. Sunbeam received 119 reports of lid detachment incidents before the recall, resulting in 99 burn injuries of varying severity. Victims suffered first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree burns to their faces, chests, arms, hands, and other body parts. Third-degree burns destroy both outer and inner skin layers and may damage bones, muscles, or tendons, often requiring extensive medical treatment including hospitalization, debriding, and skin grafts.
Class Action Lawsuits and Individual Claims
Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Sunbeam Products and its parent company Newell Brands alleging the pressure cookers contain dangerous design defects that the companies knew about but failed to disclose to consumers. In January 2020, plaintiff Kimberly Rife filed a class action lawsuit (Case 9:20-cv-80021-RKA) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida [1] claiming she suffered severe burns in January 2018 when her Crock-Pot exploded while cooking chicken and rice soup. Despite following the instructions and releasing pressure through the steam valve, the scalding contents exploded when she opened the lid, spraying her hand, wrist, stomach, and surrounding kitchen area.
The lawsuits allege that Sunbeam misled consumers [1] by falsely claiming the pressure cookers featured built-in safety mechanisms that would prevent the lid from opening while the unit was pressurized. Plaintiffs assert the purported safety features are defective and do not function as advertised, allowing users to remove the lid even when dangerous pressure remains inside the pot. Water inside a pressure cooker can reach temperatures exceeding 200 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to cause catastrophic burns.
In January 2020, another lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court for Palm Beach County, Florida (Filing # 102592884) by a Florida woman [2] who was severely burned when she easily twisted open the lid while pressure remained inside the pot. In July 2020, six additional lawsuits were filed on July 22, 2020 in the Circuit Court for Palm Beach County, Florida by burn victims from Oklahoma, California, Minnesota, Missouri, and North Carolina [2], including one involving a young child injured by his grandmother’s pressure cooker. Multiple other individual lawsuits followed throughout 2020, 2021, and 2022, with plaintiffs from Texas, Colorado, Washington, Georgia, and other states alleging similar defects and severe burn injuries.
Notable Verdict and Settlement
In December 2024, a Colorado federal jury awarded $55.5 million to Georgina Perez (Case Number 1:21-cv-01915) [3], who suffered second- and third-degree burns on 13% of her body when her Crock-Pot Express exploded in June 2019 while cooking beans. The jury found Sunbeam Products and Newell Brands 90% responsible for her injuries, with the plaintiff bearing 10% comparative fault. The jury awarded $3.5 million for noneconomic damages, $2 million for physical impairment, and $50 million in punitive damages—$15 million against Sunbeam and $35 million against Newell. However, in May 2025, the presiding judge reduced the total award to $9.1 million based on Colorado’s statutory cap on noneconomic damages [3]. Perez required extensive skin grafts and continues to experience difficulty regulating body temperature due to damaged sweat glands.
In September 2025, Sunbeam and Newell reached a settlement with Fallon Koenig, a Georgia woman who filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia [4] after she was burned in September 2023 when her Crock-Pot opened under pressure and ejected scalding contents. The settlement terms were not disclosed publicly, but legal analysts believe the companies may be motivated to resolve cases out of court to avoid additional large jury verdicts.
Recall Instructions
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Crock-Pot in pressure cooker mode but may continue using it for slow cooking and sautéing functions. Consumers should contact Crock-Pot immediately to obtain a free replacement lid. Those who continue using the multi-cooker in pressure cooker mode while awaiting the replacement lid must ensure the lid is securely turned to the fully locked position by aligning the arrow on the lid with the lock symbol on the base.
For assistance, contact Crock-Pot at 800-323-9519 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit recall.crock-pot.com for more information.
Legal Claims
Individuals injured by defective Crock-Pot pressure cookers may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical expenses including emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgeries, and skin grafts
- Pain and suffering from severe burn injuries
- Physical impairment and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Property damage to kitchens and belongings
- Punitive damages for the manufacturers’ alleged knowledge of the defect
Lawsuits allege design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranty, and violations of consumer protection laws. Plaintiffs claim Sunbeam and Newell knew about the dangerous defect for years but continued selling the pressure cookers without adequate warnings or recalls, prioritizing profits over consumer safety.
References
1. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/household/sunbeam-class-action-says-crock-pot-pressure-cookers-explode/
2. https://www.pressurecookerlawsuit.org/crock-pot-pressure-cooker-lawsuit
3. https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/pressure-cooker-injury-lawsuits.html
4. https://www.pressurecookerlawsuit.org/crock-pot-lawsuit-ends-in-quick-settlement-for-burned-woman
5. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Crock-Pot-6-Quart-Express-Crock-Multi-Cookers-Recalled-by-Sunbeam-Products-Due-to-Burn-Hazard