In Spokane and elsewhere, it’s important for consumers to read and follow the operating instructions of manufacturers regarding new appliances. They will also naturally expect manufacturers to design safe products and test appliances thoroughly before offering them for sale. However, this is often not the case — as proved by the number of personal injury lawsuits that are processed by the Washington civil justice system each year.
Consumers might be wise to take particular care with newly purchased Instant Pots. A woman in another state recently filed a products liability claim against the manufacturers of the appliance. The lawsuit states that the woman and her daughter suffered serious burn wounds when the Instant Pot exploded when she opened it. She asserts that she followed all the manufacturer’s instructions to allow the pressured steam to escape safely.
The plaintiff claims that although consumers are warned about the dangers of opening the pot before decompressing it by following operating instructions, the manufacturer failed to design a pot that will be 100% safe every time. She contends that she did several trial runs, and used it to prepare soup previously, without problems. Yet, this time, using the same safety procedures resulted in the explosion.
Product liability lawsuits are complicated. A plaintiff must show the manufacturer owed him or her a duty care that was breached and resulted in injury to the plaintiff. This could be daunting, though an experienced personal injury attorney in Spokane can assist victims of defective products in pursuing full financial accountability from negligent manufacturers and others in the consumer supply chain.