A shocking incident involving a household appliance has led to a legal battle in Texas. Cheryl Labbe, a resident of Humble, Harris County, filed a lawsuit against SharkNinja Operating LLC on October 18, 2024, in the District Court of Harris County. The case stems from an alleged malfunction of a pressure cooker manufactured by SharkNinja that resulted in severe injuries.
According to the complaint, Labbe was using her Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp Pressure Cooker, Model OP301, on October 23, 2022, when the lid unexpectedly exploded off the pot during normal use. This incident caused scalding hot contents to be ejected onto Labbe, resulting in severe and disfiguring burns. Labbe claims that the product was defectively designed and manufactured by SharkNinja, failing to prevent the lid from being removed while pressurized. The lawsuit alleges that SharkNinja marketed their pressure cookers as safe and equipped with "14 safety features," which purportedly prevent such accidents. However, Labbe argues these claims were misleading and incorrect.
Labbe's legal team contends that SharkNinja's negligence extends beyond design flaws to include failure to warn consumers about potential dangers associated with their product. The lawsuit accuses SharkNinja of breach of express and implied warranties by assuring customers of the cooker's safety without adequately addressing known risks. Furthermore, it highlights that safer alternative designs were available but not implemented by the company.
In seeking justice for her injuries and losses, Labbe demands compensatory damages exceeding $1 million for medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, loss of income, and diminished enjoyment of life. Additionally, she seeks punitive damages to penalize SharkNinja for what she describes as gross negligence or malice.
The case is represented by attorneys Julian C. Gomez from The Julian C. Gomez Law Firm PLLC in McAllen; Wade A. Barrow from Barrow Law PLLC in Fort Worth; Willie D. Powells III from The Law Offices of Willie D. Powells III & Associates PLLC in Houston; and George E. McLaughlin from McLaughlin Law Firm PC in Denver (pro hac vice). The presiding judge is yet to be assigned for Case ID 2024-72625.