Instant Pot Lawsuit: The Pressure-Cooker Burn Claims

What the Lawsuits Allege

A class action filed in 2022, and individual suits since, allege that certain Instant Pot electric pressure cookers are defective because the lid can be opened while the contents are still under pressure — during what users describe as normal operation — ejecting scalding food and liquid and causing second- and third-degree burns. Plaintiffs allege the manufacturer knew of the risk for years.

The safety interlock on a pressure cooker is supposed to prevent exactly this; the claim is that on the affected units it did not.

The Recall History

The litigation sits alongside recall activity, including a recall of tens of thousands of Instant Pot units sold through one large retailer over overheating and burn or fire risk. A recall addresses a specific defect and model run; it does not by itself resolve individual injury claims, which turn on how a particular unit failed and the injury it caused.

What to Do if You Were Burned

Keep the cooker, its model and lot number and packaging, along with medical records and proof of purchase. A product-liability burn claim generally requires showing the specific unit and how it failed, so preserving the product matters more than people expect. Check separately whether a recall applies to your model.