Photo courtesy of HSN.
Summary: A potential class-action lawsuit is accusing the makers of NutriBullet of selling an unsafe product.
On July 2, a Southern woman filed a 64-page lawsuit against the makers of NutriBullet, according to CBS News. The lawsuit alleges that the high-powered blenders have the potential to explode and injure consumers, and it is seeking class-action status.
In the court filing, Deveta White of South Carolina said that Capital Brands, the maker of NutriBullet, failed to warn consumers that the gadget can explode and injure people, including burning them. She is seeking damages and an order for the company to stop selling the defective blenders. She also wants Capital Brands to warn people who have already purchased the blenders that the products are dangerous.
This recent lawsuit is similar to one filed last December by Johanna Suarez of North Carolina. That case is pending and not seeking class-action status. CBS News said that an earlier class action was filed but was dismissed.
In White’s lawsuit, she said that the blender’s canister pressurizes to the point that it breaks into parts and spews its contents. She said that the explosions happen without warning and that the blender’s moving blades can make even cold products scalding hot.
The lawsuit said that if the NutriBullet doesn’t explode, it can still injure consumers because the blade could fly out after the blender’s lid is removed.
“The blenders pose a safety risk to users as well as other people — including children — who may be in close proximity to the blender when it explodes,” the filing said. “Despite its knowledge, NutriBullet fails to warn its consumers that the product may explode posing a serious safety risk to users and any living thing in the proximity of the explosion.”
White said that her NutriBullet blender burned her chest and arms, and it caused her to miss work. She said that she incurred $6,000 worth of medical bills for second-degree burns on her chest and first degree burns on her arms.
White said that she had been using her NutriBullet to make a smoothie for less than a minute, the time the company says the blender can be safely operated. White’s lawsuit said that the company has known that the blenders were defective and that they have known since 2007. White said that consumers have made complaints to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) SaferProducts website as well as the NutriBullet Facebook page.
Capital Brands has denied that its product is unsafe and is contesting claims that NutriBullet is dangerous when used properly.
“NutriBullet is dedicated to the safety and satisfaction of its customers,” the company said to CBS News. “Every day, millions of customers safely use the Nutribullet to blend nutritious smoothies from fruits, vegetables, and nuts. NutriBullets are safe and present no issue if used as directed, such as not blending heated foods, or using the blender for longer than necessary to make a smoothie, which is generally less than one minute.”
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