Aurora Pressure Cooker Attorney

Colorado’s Strict-Liability Product Laws

Under C.R.S. §§ 13-21-401 to 406, manufacturers and sellers are strictly liable for defective products that cause injury. This means you do not have to prove negligence, only that the pressure cooker was defective, unreasonably dangerous, and used as intended. Victims in Aurora generally have two years to file a claim from the date of the injury or from when they reasonably discovered the defect.

The McLaughlin Law Firm’s Approach

At McLaughlin Law Firm, our attorneys use a systematic six-step strategy to build strong product-liability cases for Aurora residents:

1. Preserving the evidence: We secure the pressure cooker, packaging, user manuals, and receipts before anyone discards or alters them. These items are critical to proving design or manufacturing defects.
2. Expert engineering analysis: Our team works with mechanical and metallurgical experts to test the cooker and identify how the failure occurred, from faulty gaskets to defective lid locks.
3. Connecting your case to recalls: We cross-reference your model and serial number with existing CPSC recalls, strengthening your claim by showing the manufacturer knew of the risk.
4. Identifying all liable parties: In addition to the manufacturer, distributors, importers, and even retailers may be liable under Colorado law if they rebranded or altered the product.
5. Calculating total damages: We work with medical experts and economists to project long-term costs, including surgeries, lost wages, psychological counseling, and future care.
6. Negotiating from strength: Our reputation for litigation readiness ensures that manufacturers take your case seriously, whether it’s resolved in Arapahoe County District Court or through a national settlement.

Victims injured by defective pressure cookers in Aurora may be entitled to extensive financial recovery under Colorado law. A successful product-liability claim can help offset both the immediate and long-term effects of these devastating accidents. Compensation in a pressure cooker lawsuit typically covers economic losses, such as medical costs and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages, which address emotional pain, trauma, and reduced quality of life.

• Medical Expenses: After a pressure cooker explosion, victims often require extensive and ongoing medical care. Burns can lead to hospitalization, skin grafts, reconstructive surgeries, and rehabilitation. In Aurora, patients frequently receive treatment at UCHealth Anschutz Medical Campus, The Medical Center of Aurora, or Children’s Hospital Colorado for severe injuries. Compensation can include both past and future medical expenses, covering emergency transportation, surgical procedures, physical therapy, and long-term follow-up care.
• Lost Income and Reduced Earning Potential: A serious burn or injury may prevent victims from returning to work for weeks, months, or permanently. In such cases, victims can pursue compensation for lost wages and future earning potential. If nerve damage, scarring, or mobility limitations interfere with career prospects, the law allows for recovery that reflects those lifelong financial losses.
• Non-Economic Damages: Not all injuries can be measured in dollars. Non-economic damages compensate victims for the emotional and psychological toll that accompanies serious physical harm. This can include chronic pain, loss of self-esteem, anxiety, depression, or an inability to enjoy activities that once brought joy. These damages recognize that the trauma of an explosion can follow victims long after their physical wounds have healed.
• Exemplary (Punitive) Damages: If evidence shows that a manufacturer knew of safety defects, ignored consumer complaints, or failed to issue timely recalls, a court may impose exemplary or punitive damages. These awards are not meant to compensate the victim directly but to punish the company and deter similar misconduct in the future. They send a clear message that public safety must come before corporate profit.
• Loss of Consortium: The aftermath of a serious pressure cooker explosion doesn’t only affect the injured party; it impacts their entire family. When a spouse or partner’s relationship is disrupted because of physical disfigurement, emotional distress, or long-term disability, they may have a loss-of-consortium claim. These damages acknowledge the pain, loss of intimacy, and emotional suffering family members endure as a result of another’s injuries.

Across the country, juries have recognized the severity of these accidents. Some verdicts have exceeded $50 million, demonstrating a growing recognition of how devastating these injuries can be. A successful Aurora pressure cooker lawsuit not only provides critical financial relief; it holds manufacturers accountable for the preventable harm caused by their negligence.