Pressure Cooker Explosions Cause Severe Burns: How To Treat Them?

Healthy eating is becoming a practice among many. People today are willing to take onus for the food they eat and the ingredients that go into making it, to make sure that they are consuming only nutritious food. For this, most tend to buy a pressure cooker equipped with the latest technology to make sure that the food gets cooked well, retains the correct level of nutrition, and contributes to one’s overall health and wellness.

However, buying a pressure cooker isn’t free of hassles and problems. While being able to cook good food is a reality, it is also essential for people to consider the hazards that come with it. The danger of the latest electric pressure cooker is that it explodes and causes burns and other injuries, which can range from painful bruises to vision loss and even permanent face scars. Hence, users must exercise the utmost caution when using a cooker.

In this article, we will delve into pressure cooker explosions and the way you can treat them so that they recover fast. That aside, we will also suggest how to seek legal compensation to cover the pain and injuries that you’ve suffered from.

Pressure Cooker Explosions: Know the Cause

The major problem with the latest electric pressure cookers is that they have a high-pressure internal environment, which can make them explode. Several people in the United States have endured severe burns after experiencing such explosions.

In April 2021, Lucy Perkins filed a lawsuit against Instant Brands, Inc., the leading manufacturer of Instant Pot cookers. The complaint spoke about how manufacturing and design defects caused her Instant Pot to explode and result in havoc.

Additionally, in November 2021, a woman from California also reported a similar concern with her Instant Pot that made her suffer from burn injuries. In her complaint, she mentioned that she could open the pot lid even when the cooker was under pressure. Even though the safety features were supposed to protect her, they didn’t.

A woman from Pennsylvania in July 2021 filed an Instant Pot lawsuit in place of her daughter of two years old. She shared that after she was done making soup in the pot; she saw an error message on the device’s screen. Reading the message, she decided to release the pressure valve. She removed the lid when she felt the unit wasn’t under any pressure.

The moment the lid was opened, it ejected hot contents and hurt her daughter, who was sitting in a chair close by. Her little daughter had to be hospitalized to get treated for painful third-degree burns on her neck, face, left shoulder, chest, and even left arm.

Such injuries are common with any pressure cooker injury. Hence, users must check the device well before buying it and also treat their injuries well.

Treating Pressure Cooker Accident Burns

No one knows when their pressure cooker will explode. This mishap can happen even when you’ve checked for defects and exercised the utmost caution. Here are a few ways in which you can address and treat painful burns:

• Unplug your appliance: It is necessary to switch off the device and ensure you take the victim away from the explosion site so that there are no extra burns.
• Halt the burn process: The dermal layers will keep on burning even when you have eliminated the heat source. Hence, you must cool the area to avert the burn process.
• Apply cold water over the affected area: You can use ice or cold water to apply it over the burned area so that the discomfort starts to subside gradually.
• Cover the injury site: It is necessary to opt for a dry, sterile dressing to cover the wound. You can change the bandage for about 10 days, or maybe a few days more. Once the injured area appears to be healing, you can take away the bandage.

That aside, you can use pain medication if the burning sensation increases. If you feel the area needs medical intervention, get yourself checked by a healthcare professional.

Navigating the Legal Path

There are times when a pressure cooker explosion can lead to severe face and eye injuries. It can cause blindness and even facial scars that might take time to heal and require constant medical aid. In such a situation, you can file a lawsuit and seek legal compensation to pay for your medical bills and other expenses. 

TorHoerman Law states that you must get in touch with a lawyer and know whether you are eligible to file a lawsuit. After that, the lawyer will make sure that they use your medical data, injury images, and other evidence to build a solid case to obtain fair compensation for you. Make sure to follow the guidance that your lawyer offers you so that you don’t cancel out your chances of getting compensated.

In conclusion, pressure cooker explosions have been common in the United States. From careless cooking practices to design defects, the causes of explosions are many and have caused ample harm to the victims. You must address and treat the burn well, and then seek legal aid to cover your economic and non-economic damages.