At least 22 people are suing the maker of Nutribullet, alleging the blender’s malfunctioning parts resulted in serious lacerations and injuries.
Sheryl Utal told CBS News that she used her high-powered blender daily for years until it exploded after 20 seconds and gave her second-degree burns.
“It just came flying out all over me, all over the kitchen, the ceilings, the walls,” Utal said. “And it was on my chest. It also had hit me in the face as well.”
Rosa Rivera (pictured above), the mother of late Latina superstar Jenni Rivera, said she was injured when a Nutribullet 600 Deluxe she used for the past year exploded 10 days ago while in her hands. According to KABC, Rivera also claimed she sustained second- and third-degree burns to her hands, head, face, and neck.
“We are representing 22 clients and have been getting calls almost on a weekly basis with people who have been injured with a NutriBullet machine,” said Attorney Danny Abir with Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, LLP, (ACTS) the firm handling nationwide Nurtibullet
The lawsuit accuses Homeland Housewares, the company that manufactures the blender, of creating a defective product that overpressurizes its canister. This pressurization, according to attorney Doug Rochen with ACTS, results in the body of the vessel dislodging from the blade “like a rocket ship.”
“This is a closed canister with blades in it that are spinning at tens of thousands revolutions per minute. What that does is create a friction and then heat, which creates a dangerous condition that allows these eruptions of the content of the blender,” lawyer Aaron Lavine explained.
In a statement, Homeland Housewares blamed the injuries on user error.
“Reports of our blenders causing injury are extremely rare … We typically find customers have failed to adhere to the operating instructions and warnings provided.”
Abir said the Los Angeles-based firm is representing 22 people who say they were injured by their Nutribullet. He also noted that none of the clients were using hot liquids when their blenders burst.
The lawsuit demands Nurtibullet issue a recall of its products and include warnings detailing the potential risks that come with using the blender.
[Featured Image: Rosa Rivera/Instagram]
