Denver, CO personal injury attorney George McLaughlin talks about who you can sue for injuries caused by a pressure cooker. He notes that he has handled numerous cases against several different pressure cooker manufacturers. He explains that the industry standard, as defined by Underwriters Laboratories, requires that a pressure cooker lid cannot be opened while the contents are still pressurized. Every pressure cooker must have a safety interlock to prevent opening under pressure. If a manufacturer distributes a cooker that can be opened while pressurized, it is in clear violation of this standard.

He also highlights a separate issue with some models, particularly the Sunbeam Crockpot. If the lid is mistakenly placed 180 degrees opposite of its intended position, the product by design should recognize the error and prevent pressurization. However, in his own testing, he found that certain Sunbeam models would still heat and pressurize even when the lid was improperly placed. This creates a significant risk: the lid can blow off while the cooker is in operation. He recalls a case where a client captured video of the lid violently ejecting just as he approached the pot in the kitchen, demonstrating the real and present danger of this defect.