A federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana alleges that a Barton 8 Quart Aluminum Stovetop Pressure Cooker exploded without warning, sending boiling hot water splashing across a woman’s face, arms, chest, stomach, and underarms while she was cooking at home.
The incident occurred on April 26, 2024, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to court documents, the woman had purchased the Model 99901-H2 pressure cooker from the Walmart app in March 2024 and had used it only twice before the explosion.
According to the lawsuit, she followed all standard safety precautions (inspecting the gasket, clearing the vent, locking the lid, and allowing pressure to release naturally) before the cooker failed.
The plaintiff was treated at Lane Regional Medical Center on the day of the explosion for burns and blisters to her mouth, lower face, chest, and arms. Beginning May 1, 2024, she began ongoing care at the Baton Rouge General Burn Clinic for 2nd and 3rd-degree scald burns to her face, chest, and both upper extremities.
By June 2024, her treating therapist recommended six months of occupational therapy at Baton Rouge General Medical Center specifically for scar management to prevent contractures and scar bands forming across her upper limbs.
She was also prescribed daily compression garments. At the time of filing, she continued to undergo burn scraping and treatment and had sustained permanent scarring and disfigurement.
The lawsuit names Stark Group, LLC, doing business as Stark USA and Stark Tools USA, a California company, as the defendant. The complaint alleges that the pressure cooker was unreasonably dangerous due to manufacturing defects, design flaws, and failure to provide adequate warnings.
The lawsuit specifically alleges that the pressure cooker lacked safety features necessary for its intended use and failed to prevent catastrophic pressure release during normal cooking.
The case was originally filed in Louisiana state court in April 2025, removed to federal court in April 2026, and is designated Case No. 3:26-CV-392 in the Middle District of Louisiana.
Consumers who own a Barton pressure cooker or other stovetop pressure cooker products by Stark USA may want to consult a product liability attorney. People who suffered burn injuries from a defective pressure cooker may have legal options.
Editor’s note: For more information on pressure cooker lawsuits and your legal rights, please contact the law firm of Johnson Becker, PLLC. The firm is currently evaluating exploding pressure cooker cases in all 50 states.Click Here for a Free Confidential Case Consultation