A New York Metropolis man who used a Nutribullet blender to make a protein smoothie claims he was completely injured when the machine exploded, sending “shrapnel” into his hand.
Joseph Sanchez put celery, milk and protein powder into the high-powered machine in July 2022 and was shocked when “the [plastic] cup exploded, deeply lacerating” his proper hand and fingers, “and leaving him terrified as he saw his blood gushing onto the floor all around him,” he alleged in court docket papers.
In shock, the quick-thinking 46-year-old hairdresser was in a position to seize a necktie to make use of as a tourniquet and sluggish the bleeding earlier than dashing to the hospital, the place medical workers recognized him with a severed artery in his dominant proper hand, he mentioned in a Manhattan Supreme Courtroom lawsuit towards Nutribullet.
The Inwood resident now struggles with numbness in his hand, “severe pain, and trauma that will last a lifetime,” he mentioned within the litigation.
Working the blender, which might vary in value from about $45 to $150 or extra, creates warmth and strain which causes the machine to “over-pressurize” and explode, he alleged.
Nutribullet is properly conscious of its product’s tendency to blow up, Sanchez alleged, noting the corporate first discovered of the problem in 2011 when a shopper was injured. The lawsuit didn’t element the sooner criticism.
The incident was “very frightening and disturbing,” mentioned Sanchez’ legal professional, Daniel Ecker.
Not less than 140 private damage or product legal responsibility lawsuits have been filed towards the corporate in federal court docket since 2014, in line with court docket data, and in 2022 Nutribullet agreed to pay a $10 million settlement in a category motion case claiming individuals had been harm by its product.
The corporate didn’t admit wrongdoing within the hefty settlement.
Nonetheless, the Los Angeles-based firm has “never warned” clients and “failed to take any action,” together with issuing a recall or redesigning its blender, contended Sanchez, who’s looking for unspecified damages.
A New Jersey federal decide tossed an identical case final month from a lady who claimed she was harm after her Nutribullet exploded whereas she used it for lower than 10 seconds.
Lori Lynne Hoff of Hunterdon was utilizing her blender to make celery juice in 2020 when it blew, slicing her finger, leaving her burned — and inflicting her to briefly collapse, she mentioned in court docket papers which sought unspecified damages.
She sued in 2021 claiming the Nutribullet featured a faulty design, however the decide dismissed the case June 30 contending that the engineering professional Hoff had testify on her behalf didn’t help her claims.
The corporate, which touts itself as the highest “personal blending brand” with greater than 80 million clients worldwide.
Nutribullet didn’t reply to a message looking for remark.
