A Pennsylvania woman who allegedly suffered severe burns after her can of cooking oil spray exploded in 2017 was awarded $7.1 million in damages Monday in the first of 56 similar lawsuits against the Conagra brand.
“[Il s’agit de] “One of the most shocking examples of corporate negligence I have ever seen,” Pete Flowers of the law firm Meyers & Flower said in a statement to Forbes on Tuesday.
In 2017, Tammy Reese was cooking at her workplace when a can of pressurized cooking oil exploded near the woman, burning her arms, hands and face, he said in his lawsuit against food packaging giant Conagra, according to American media.
According to his lawyers, the ventilation mechanism normally present in this type of product is “defective and dangerous” and makes the can “vulnerable to explosions,” the lawsuit says.
In total, under similar conditions, at least 61 people would have been injured and 56 lawsuits would have been filed against the company, which stopped using these types of mechanisms in 2019 without recalling those already on shelves, Forbes said.
Another victim, who lost vision in her right eye and suffered lung damage, told Today that she was putting a bowl in the oven when the product exploded and caught fire, “suddenly and without warning,” American media reported.
On Monday, the judge in the Superior Court of Cook County in Chicago awarded $4 million in punitive damages and $3.1 million in compensatory damages in this first case.
Conagra, for its part, said it was “exploring our legal options, including appeal,” after reiterating to Forbes on Tuesday that the company “continues to support.” [ses] “Cooking spray products that are safe and effective when used correctly and as directed,” says a press release.