Woman sues NutriBullet over claims she was cut and burned after blender ‘exploded’

Lawsuits alleging harm from NutriBullet blenders have previously been filed against makers Capital Brands

Lawsuit filed against NutriBullet after blender ‘explodes' (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A woman has filed a lawsuit against NutriBullet over claims she sustained cuts from the blade after the blender exploded, according to a new report.

On Thursday, TMZ reported that Folana Jackson filed the court documents after she was injured by the NutriBullet 900 blender in May 2020.

According to the outlet, which obtained documents from the court case, Jackson was in the process of creating a juice when the blades in the blender “caused a pressure build-up in the canister” within one minute of use.

In the lawsuit, Jackson reportedly alleges that the blender then made a weird sound, prompting her to turn off the machine.

However, when she attempted to place her hands near the bottom canister of the blender, it “separated from the blade and exploded off the motor base,” according to documents viewed by TMZ.

Due to her proximity, the blade, which was reportedly still spinning at the time, came in contact with her left hand, which Jackson alleged resulted in “severe, deep, lacerations”.

The explosion also reportedly caused the contents of the blender to splash onto Jackson and burn her.

In the lawsuit, Jackson reportedly alleged that the injuries required her to undergo surgery to “repair lacerations and torn ligaments in her left ring and pinky fingers,” which she claims left her with “limited mobility and constant nerve pain,” according to TMZ.

This is not the first time that NutriBullet, and its maker Capital Brands, have faced a lawsuit over blenders exploding, as a class action lawsuit filed in 2018 alleged that the company was guilty of “failing to warn consumers about the potential for the gadget to explode without warning, causing injuries to consumers, including burns,” according to CBS News.

The lawsuit also followed a similar one filed the year earlier by a customer in North Carolina.

However, despite numerous reports of the blenders allegedly exploding, NutriBullet has reportedly maintained that any injuries or incidents were likely the result of customer misuse, according to Fox11, which notes that the company has also argued that the products come with “clear warnings throughout their instruction manuals, which state that customers shouldn’t blend hot liquids, shouldn’t leave the device unattended, and should never exceed the maximum one minute blending time”.

The outlet also reported in November 2020 that attorneys Dough Rochen and Boris Treyzon of the law firm Abir, Cohen, Treyzon, Salo, (ACTS), revealed at the time that they represent nearly 100 alleged victims of the NutriBullet.

Jackson is suing the company for unspecified damages, according to TMZ.

In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for NutriBullet said: “Every day, millions of NutriBullet customers worldwide blend nutritious smoothies from fruits, vegetables and nuts in their NutriBullets. NutriBullets are safe. There is no risk if the NutriBullet is used to blend room temperature or cold ingredients   for less than a minute. 

“The claims made by plaintiffs’ attorneys are simply not possible – NutriBullets cannot defy the laws of physics. As billions of consumer blend cycles, numerous tests and studies have proved, including those performed by an independent university, NutriBullets cannot “hyper-heat” room temperature ingredients in a short period of time, as alleged.

“NutriBullet is dedicated to the safety of its consumers and is of course sorry to hear when anyone is hurt. However, the fact remains that NutriBullets obey the laws of physics and that these injuries are caused by people misusing NutriBullet products by not following instructions and warnings that clearly state: “NEVER BLEND HOT LIQUIDS OR FOOD OR CARBONATED BEVERAGES. NEVER BLEND FOR MORE THAN ONE MINUTE.”