Yes, there is a significant ongoing federal class action lawsuit targeting Instant Brands (manufacturer of Instant Pot) over pressure cooker lid defects that allegedly open during normal use while contents remain pressurized, causing severe burns to consumers who purchased through Amazon and other retailers. The lawsuit was filed in June 2022 in Illinois federal court by plaintiffs Michelle Havens and Elsie Wilkerson, with Instant Brands as the named defendant. The core allegation is that the company’s lid locks and pressure release mechanisms fail to function properly, allowing pressurized hot food and liquid to spray out unexpectedly. This article covers the lawsuit details, how the defect occurs, recent cases, injury patterns, settlement options, and what compensation may be available.
The Instant Pot defect has been a documented problem for years. Instant Brands reportedly became aware of the lid failure issue as early as 2016, meaning the company had roughly six years of consumer complaints before the federal class action was filed. Despite this knowledge, the company continued manufacturing and selling the units with the same safety mechanism design flaws. The situation grew more urgent in 2023 when Instant Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June, complicating the legal landscape for injured consumers seeking compensation.
Table of Contents
- What Are the Alleged Lid Defects in Instant Pot Pressure Cookers?
- How Do Pressure Cooker Lid Failures Cause Injuries?
- What Is the Timeline of Pressure Cooker Lawsuits and Cases?
- What Is the Current Settlement Status?
- What Are Other Significant Pressure Cooker Cases?
- How Can You Identify If Your Instant Pot Has a Defect?
- What Options Are Available for Injured Consumers?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Alleged Lid Defects in Instant Pot Pressure Cookers?
The alleged defect centers on the lid locking system and pressure release mechanisms that Instant Pot units should have in place. When functioning correctly, these safety features prevent the lid from opening while food is cooking under pressure. In the defective units, however, the locking mechanism fails or disengages unexpectedly during normal cooking cycles. When this happens, pressurized steam and hot liquid escape from the cooker, sometimes with enough force to eject food and boiling liquid several feet, burning anyone nearby.
The problem is not limited to extreme misuse or operator error. Plaintiffs claim the defects occur during routine cooking—people simply following normal instructions while the lid disengages on its own. A June 2023 case involved a woman who purchased an Instant Pot from amazon and suffered severe burns when the lid opened while the cooker was actively cooking. Similarly, an October 23, 2023 case from Oregon involved a woman using an Instant Pot Duo Crisp model who experienced the same lid-opening failure, causing second and third-degree burns. These aren’t rare isolated incidents—the repetition of nearly identical failures across different units strongly suggests a design or manufacturing defect rather than user error.
How Do Pressure Cooker Lid Failures Cause Injuries?
Understanding the mechanics of these injuries explains why pressure cooker defects are particularly dangerous compared to other consumer product failures. A pressure cooker operates by trapping steam and heat inside an enclosed vessel, raising the internal temperature well above normal boiling point (around 250°F in an Instant Pot). The contents are under significant pressure, meaning that when the seal fails, the pressurized vapor and scalding liquid are forcefully expelled. For comparison, normal boiling water at sea level is around 212°F and causes immediate burns on contact. Pressurized contents from a cooker are significantly hotter and propelled with considerable force. The victims in these cases—including in at least one documented incident a child nearby during cooking—suffered second and third-degree burns that required medical treatment.
The injury pattern shows that when the lid suddenly opens, hot liquid doesn’t gently drip out; it sprays. A December 2024 verdict from a Colorado federal court illustrates the severity: a woman burned in a pressure cooker incident received a jury award of over $55 million. Her burns covered only 13% of her body, yet the jury awarded eight figures due to the severity of third-degree burns, permanent scarring, and ongoing medical costs. This verdict, while involving a different brand (Sunbeam/Newell cooker), demonstrates how serious courts and juries treat pressure cooker injury cases. However, if you have an Instant Pot and are concerned, having the product does not automatically mean you will be injured. Many units function without incident. The defect appears to affect a subset of units rather than every single product ever made, though the exact failure rate is unclear from public litigation records.
What Is the Timeline of Pressure Cooker Lawsuits and Cases?
The legal history of pressure cooker injuries extends back further than many consumers realize. The federal class action specifically against Instant Brands began in June 2022 in Illinois federal court, brought by Michelle Havens and Elsie Wilkerson. The lawsuit alleged that the company had known about the defect since at least 2016—meaning for approximately six years, Instant Brands had received consumer reports of lid failures and did nothing to issue recalls, redesign the product, or warn consumers. Since the initial class action filing, multiple additional cases have emerged.
In June 2023, a woman who purchased an Instant Pot through Amazon filed suit after the lid opened while the cooker was in use, causing burns requiring medical care. In October 2023, an Oregon woman filed a lawsuit (KIRO 7 News Seattle reported on this case on October 23, 2023) after her Instant Pot Duo Crisp allegedly burst open with safety features failing completely. Most recently, in January 2026, a lawsuit was filed in Washington federal court involving a Mueller brand electric pressure cooker explosion that resulted in permanent scarring—showing that the defect problem extends beyond Instant Brands to other pressure cooker manufacturers as well. The related $55 million verdict from December 2024 wasn’t technically an Instant Pot case—it involved a Sunbeam pressure cooker made by Newell—but it established a precedent that courts and juries view pressure cooker manufacturers as responsible for designing safe products and may award substantial damages for burn injuries.
What Is the Current Settlement Status?
As of 2026, there is no finalized nationwide class action settlement for Instant Pot or pressure cooker injury claims. The federal class action lawsuit remains active without a global resolution. This means that if you were injured by an Instant Pot purchased from Amazon or elsewhere, you are not automatically eligible for a pre-negotiated settlement check. Instead, you would need to take action to pursue compensation, either by joining the existing class action or filing an individual claim. However, some individual cases have been resolved confidentially.
Court records show that at least one case involving a Georgia mother whose child was burned by a pressure cooker was settled with structured monthly payments, indicating that defendants are willing to compensate injured parties even outside of class settlements. The difference between individual settlements and a class settlement is significant: in a class settlement, all eligible members receive compensation according to a predetermined formula. In individual settlements, you negotiate your own terms and may receive more—or less—than you would in a class settlement, depending on your case details. The bankruptcy of Instant Brands in June 2023 complicates the situation further. Bankruptcy proceedings can slow down litigation and may limit the total funds available for injured consumers. Some potential claimants worry that funds will be depleted, making it important to understand your options quickly rather than delaying.
What Are Other Significant Pressure Cooker Cases?
While the Instant Pot litigation is the primary focus, the pressure cooker defect issue is broader across the industry. The Mueller brand electric pressure cooker explosion case filed in January 2026 in Washington federal court shows that similar failures are occurring with competing brands. Like the Instant Pot cases, the Mueller cooker allegedly failed with a lid opening and permanent scarring injury resulting. The most significant verdict to date came from the Sunbeam/Newell case in December 2024. A Colorado federal jury awarded a woman over $55 million after she suffered burns covering 13% of her body in a pressure cooker failure.
To put this in perspective, burn injuries affecting 13% of body surface area are serious—requiring skin grafts, lengthy hospitalization, and permanent scarring—but they are not the most severe burns possible. The fact that a jury awarded eight figures demonstrates how courts view manufacturer responsibility for defective pressure cookers. This verdict sends a strong signal that if you were injured by an Instant Pot or similar device, your claim has substantial potential value, particularly if you suffered permanent scarring or ongoing medical needs. The common thread across all these cases—Instant Pot, Mueller, Sunbeam—is that the lid-opening defect is not a rare fluke or extreme misuse scenario. Instead, it represents a pattern of failure during normal operation, suggesting that multiple manufacturers designed their pressure cookers with insufficient safety mechanisms or quality control.
How Can You Identify If Your Instant Pot Has a Defect?
While you cannot predict with certainty whether your individual Instant Pot will fail, there are warning signs to watch for. Users who have experienced the defect or reported near-misses often describe the lid feeling loose or not locking as firmly as expected, or the pressure regulator (the small valve on top) not seating properly. Some owners report that the gasket (rubber ring inside the lid) appears worn or damaged even on relatively new units.
If you notice any of these issues, exercise caution by using the cooker less frequently or avoiding it altogether until you can inspect it more closely. One practical precaution: if you choose to continue using your Instant Pot despite concern about the defect, ensure that you never leave it unattended during cooking, and position it away from where you or family members stand. Some users have wrapped a kitchen towel loosely around the cooker to help contain any spray if the lid opens unexpectedly. However, these workarounds are not substitutes for a properly functioning product—they’re just practical precautions while you decide whether to continue using the device.
What Options Are Available for Injured Consumers?
If you were injured by an Instant Pot purchased from Amazon or another retailer, you have several potential paths to compensation. First, you can participate in the federal class action lawsuit filed in June 2022. Class action law firms continue to accept claims from individuals who fit the criteria (purchased an Instant Pot, suffered burn injuries from a lid failure). Second, you can pursue an individual lawsuit or settlement negotiation. While more time-consuming than a class action, individual claims sometimes result in higher compensation because you can provide detailed evidence specific to your injury and medical costs.
Third, if you purchased the Instant Pot with a credit card that offers purchase protection or an extended warranty, you may have a claim against the credit card issuer or retailer (Amazon, Costco, etc.) rather than directly against the manufacturer. Retailers have responsibility for product safety and may be willing to settle product liability claims to avoid litigation. Fourth, if your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance includes product liability coverage, you might pursue a claim through that route as well, though this is less common. The December 2024 verdict showing $55 million awarded for burns on 13% of the body provides a benchmark for understanding your injury’s potential value. Factors that increase compensation include: permanent scarring, skin grafts required, ongoing medical care, pain and suffering, lost wages if unable to work during recovery, and emotional distress. Even without severe injuries, courts recognize that any second or third-degree burn from a defective product warrants compensation.
Conclusion
The pressure cooker defect cases—particularly the federal class action against Instant Brands over Instant Pot lid failures—represent a significant consumer protection issue. Consumers purchased these products expecting normal safety features to function during routine cooking, and for a subset of units, those safety features failed catastrophically, causing severe burn injuries. Instant Brands’ apparent knowledge of the defect dating to 2016, combined with the company’s June 2023 bankruptcy filing, makes it urgent for injured consumers to understand their legal options.
If you or a family member were burned by an Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker, you may be entitled to compensation. The lack of a finalized nationwide settlement does not mean you cannot recover—it means you must actively pursue your claim either through the existing federal class action or an individual lawsuit. Given that verdicts in related pressure cooker cases have exceeded $55 million, and considering medical costs for burn injuries can be substantial, consulting with a product liability attorney about your specific situation is an important step in protecting your rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a nationwide settlement for Instant Pot injuries I can join?
As of 2026, no finalized nationwide class action settlement exists. The federal class action lawsuit filed in June 2022 is still active. Some individual cases have been resolved with structured settlements, but injured consumers must take action to pursue claims rather than waiting for an automatic settlement distribution.
How much compensation can I expect if I was burned by an Instant Pot?
Compensation varies based on injury severity, medical costs, permanent scarring, and lost wages. A December 2024 verdict awarded over $55 million for burns covering 13% of the body with permanent scarring. Your specific case value depends on the details of your injury and documentation of damages.
Does owning an Instant Pot mean it will definitely fail?
No. The defect affects a subset of units, not every Instant Pot ever manufactured. However, the defect appears frequent enough to warrant caution, particularly with older units. If you notice the lid not locking firmly or the gasket appearing worn, use extra caution or discontinue use.
Can I sue Amazon if I purchased the Instant Pot from them?
Yes, Amazon may share liability as a retailer who sold a defective product. You can name Amazon as a defendant in an individual lawsuit or pursue a claim against them separately. Retailers have responsibility for product safety.
What should I do if I was injured but haven’t pursued a claim yet?
Consult a product liability attorney immediately. There may be statute of limitations deadlines that apply to your claim. An attorney can evaluate whether you qualify for the existing class action, pursue an individual claim, or explore both options.