A New York City man who used a Nutribullet blender to make a protein smoothie claims he was permanently injured when the device exploded, sending “shrapnel” into his hand.
Joseph Sanchez put celery, milk and protein powder into the high-powered device in July 2022 and was shocked when “the [plastic] cup exploded, deeply lacerating” his right hand and fingers, “and leaving him terrified as he saw his blood gushing onto the floor all around him,” he alleged in court papers.
In shock, the quick-thinking 46-year-old hairdresser was able to grab a necktie to use as a tourniquet and slow the bleeding before rushing to the hospital, where medical staff diagnosed him with a severed artery in his dominant right hand, he said in a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit against Nutribullet.
The Inwood resident now struggles with numbness in his hand, “severe pain, and trauma that will last a lifetime,” he said in the litigation.
Operating the blender, which can range in price from about $45 to $150 or more, creates heat and pressure which causes the device to “over-pressurize” and explode, he alleged.
Nutribullet is well aware of its product’s tendency to explode, Sanchez alleged, noting the company first learned of the issue in 2011 when a consumer was injured. The lawsuit did not detail the earlier complaint.
The incident was “very frightening and disturbing,” said Sanchez’ attorney, Daniel Ecker.
At least 140 personal injury or product liability lawsuits have been filed against the company in federal court since 2014, according to court records, and in 2022 Nutribullet agreed to pay a $10 million settlement in a class action case claiming people had been hurt by its product.
The company did not admit wrongdoing in the hefty settlement.
Still, the Los Angeles-based company has “never warned” customers and “failed to take any action,” including issuing a recall or redesigning its blender, contended Sanchez, who is seeking unspecified damages.
A New Jersey federal judge tossed a similar case last month from a woman who claimed she was hurt after her Nutribullet exploded while she used it for less than 10 seconds.
Lori Lynne Hoff of Hunterdon was using her blender to make celery juice in 2020 when it blew, slicing her finger, leaving her burned — and causing her to briefly collapse, she said in court papers which sought unspecified damages.
She sued in 2021 claiming the Nutribullet featured a defective design, but the judge dismissed the case June 30 contending that the engineering expert Hoff had testify on her behalf failed to support her claims.
The company, which touts itself as the top “personal blending brand” with more than 80 million customers worldwide.
Nutribullet did not respond to a message seeking comment.
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