- Multiple people are claiming that their NutriBullet blenders "exploded," causing cuts and burns.
- More than 20 people are now suing the company for their alleged injuries.
- NutriBullet has said misuse likely caused any incidents.
More than 20 people across the US are suing NutriBullet, claiming their devices "exploded" and that they were injured as a result.
The lawsuits claim that parts of the product burst due to the high pressure and heat that cause the blender's blades to spin, according to LA's local Fox 11 News.
A California man, Brendan Cosso, told Fox 11 News had been using the product for years. He said he was making his usual shake this past September when the container "exploded off," and his hand hit the blade.
"The two blades basically chopped into my palm, still to this day, I can't feel my finger," he told Fox 11 News. "It hit a branch of my ulnar nerve, I've got a pretty high tolerance for pain, it was deep and the meat was kind of hanging out, I had to go get stitches."
Sheryl Utal said she had a similar incident this past May, and was left with second-degree burns on her arms and chest, Fox 11 reports. Various news outlets shared images of her reported injuries on Twitter.
—FOX 32 News (@fox32news) November 14, 2017 —CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) November 14, 2017Utal, Cosso, and 22 others have filed suits against NutriBullet with the help of attorney Doug Rochen of ACTS Law. Rochen told INSIDER that since the story has been in the news, he had heard from others saying they suffered similar injuries due to the product's design.
"The design for the NutriBullet does not meet appropriate consumer expectations because it exposes consumers to unreasonable and unnecessary risks of injury," Rochen said. "The only defense that NutriBullet has offered in response to the dozens of complaints is an allegation of misuse. However, every single client that we represent used the product as intended which included not blending for over a minute, and only using room temperature or cool products within the vessel."
NutriBullet sent INSIDER the following statement in an e-mail:
"Customer safety and satisfaction are paramount at NutriBullet. Reports of blenders, which have operated normally for years, suddenly turning cool ingredients into scalding hot mixtures after less than 20 seconds of normal operation are perplexing and contrary to the hundreds of millions of uses by satisfied NutriBullet customers worldwide. We will investigate the claims thoroughly and analyze the blenders in question to determine exactly what happened. Whatever the circumstances surrounding these accidents, we wish prompt and complete recoveries to those involved."
Mark Suzomoto, a corporate attorney for NutriBullet, told Fox 11 News that misuse is likely the cause of these injuries. He did, however, point out that updates to the user manual have been made over the years with additional warnings and information.
"Any product can present a risk," he told Fox 11 News. "Like driving without a seat belt. What's alleged to have happened is physically impossible."
Editor's Note: This article was updated to include NutriBullet's response.
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