A jury awarded on Monday $7.1 million to a woman who sustained injuries in an incident involving a can of cooking spray manufactured by Conagra Brands in Chicago.
Tammy Reese will receive a settlement that includes a sum of $3.1 million in compensatory damages, designed to address the physical and emotional toll inflicted upon her, in addition to $4 million in punitive damages, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Cooking spray burn victim awarded $7.1 million in damages after can ‘exploded into a fireball’https://t.co/DzAtOssvLP
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 1, 2023
As Reese worked in the kitchen of a social club in May 2017, a can of Swell cooking spray “exploded into a fireball, causing burns and injuries” suddenly and without warning, according to The AP. She sustained deep second-degree burns on her head, face, arms and hands, with the enduring legacy of scar tissue continuing to restrict her mobility even six years later, her lawyer, Craig Smith, said.
In response to the ruling, Conagra Brands argued that their products are safe and effective when used under their instructions. The brand also mentioned that they are evaluating the possibility of an appeal, The AP reported. (RELATED: Florida Girl Awarded $800,000 After Being Burned By McDonald’s Chicken Nugget)
Smith said that there are over 50 pending cases against Conagra, which involved burn victims from various corners of the country, according to The AP. The company has faced calls to issue a product recall for the “defective” cans but has thus far resisted such demands, the outlet noted.
Conagra Brands previously recalled 245,366 pounds of frozen Banquet Chicken Strip Meals due to potential plastic contamination, prompted by a customer’s reported “oral injury.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a warning about the potential presence of “extraneous materials” in the product.