Wolfgang Puck Device Tied to Kitchen Disaster

CHICAGO (CN) - A woman says she was splattered with her own corned beef and suffered extensive burns when her Wolfgang Puck-brand pressure cooker exploded.

Sharon Hall filed the complaint Thursday in Cook County Court against Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, W.P. Appliances, W.P. Productions, W.P. Licensing, Zhanjian Hallsmart Electrical Appliances, and Hallsmart Enterprises.

Hall says she was cooking corned beef in her Wolfgang Puck 7 Quart Pressure Cooker on July 7, 2013, when the cook light on the machine turned off.

Following the machine's instructions, Hall allegedly turned the pressure-release valve to the vent position and left the pressure cooker venting for 20 minutes.

When a friend went to open the lid of the machine, however, "the lid of the cooker exploded off the cooker and the contents of the cooker also exploded out of the cooker and made contact with the person of the plaintiff, thereby causing her severe burns and injuries as hereafter mentioned," according to the complaint.

Hall claims Puck's pressure cooker is defective because it lacks "an adequate and proper pressure indicator to alert a user of the product regarding whether the contents inside the cooker were still under any level of pressure," and "an adequate and proper steam release valve with a positive vent position that would not easily move from open to closed position."

At least two other lawsuits have made similar accusations against the Chinese-made celebrity-chef-endorsed machine.

The complaint also asserts that Wolfgang Puck failed to ensure consumers were adequately instructed how to safely use the device.

Hall seeks damages for product liability and negligence.

She is represented by Jefrey Jordan with O'Connor & Nakos.

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