The slow cooker (often referred to by its generic trademark, Crock-Pot®) is a popular American appliance known for its simplicity and low cooking temperature. That being said, the safety of these products has been put into question after numerous complaints of people suffering serious burn injuries.
Defective Crock Pots
A product can be defective in a few ways: There could be a manufacturing defect, inadequate warnings, or it could simply be defective by design.
Manufacturing defects are the most-common type of product liability claims, and occur when an error is made during the manufacturing process (e.g. heating coil not property calibrated) which later causes injury. A failure to provide adequate warnings can also lead to injury when the risk is not apparent or obvious. Finally, a product which is defective by design is inherently dangerous (as opposed to a manufacturing error). Think of lawn darts as an obvious example.
Even when one follows instructions to a tee, defective products that may seem perfectly fine on the outside may still malfunction.
Injuries Connected to Crock Pots
Other injuries that have been associated with crock pots and slow cookers include scalding injuries due to cords being pulled or caught; electrocution due to poorly insulated wires; cuts, crush injuries and burns due to a crock pot handle breaking when carrying it; as well as cuts and eye injuries caused by shattering glass lids.
As a consumer, these manufacturers legally owe you a duty of care to keep you reasonably free from unnecessary harm caused by their products. We trust these appliances to work as they should, and more importantly, to work safely.
Manufacturers must go through extensive testing before their products are made available to the public. Unfortunately, and often due to intense competition, some manufacturers do not put their products under rigorous testing or choose to ignore known safety issues in an effort to increase their profits.
These companies are not too big to be held accountable for their negligence, and bringing a product liability lawsuit is often the only way to have your claim taken seriously (and to bring about change).
Safety Recalls
Slow cookers are recalled quite frequently due to burn and fire hazards, and there are simply too many to list on one page. If you believe you may have a defective slow cooker (of if you’re looking to purchase one), check with the manufacturer to see if your particular device has been recalled.
Recalls have come from various companies, including Rival®, Hamilton Beach®, Proctor-Silex®, Crock-Pot®, Breville®, and more.
Just yesterday (10/18/2016), the company 3 Squares® recalled nearly 175,000 “Tim3 Machin3” and “Mini Tim3 Machin3” rice and slow cookers due to wiring defects which pose fire and shock hazards.
Injured by a Faulty Crock-Pot? Here’s What to Do!
If you’ve been injured by a defective Crock Pot or slow cooker, you have every right to be compensated for your losses by the manufacturer.
It’s important to understand that when bringing an injury claim against a manufacturer, you need a solid strategy. Do not assume that the manufacturer will roll over and accept liability. They have a vested interest in avoiding a safety recall, and will work hard to discredit your claim.
To have the best chance at recovering actual compensation, you need someone on your side who has experience bringing product liability lawsuits against these manufacturers in court. You need an attorney who you can trust, an attorney who is passionate about advocating for consumer protection, and an attorney who has shown his ability to win similar cases.
