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Six new lawsuits brought against Conagra, the parent company of PAM, are alleging that the cooking spray cans have exploded, resulting in multiple injuries.
Plaintiff Y’Tesia Taylor alleges that she used PAM to spray a baking dish and then placed the canister on a cart adjacent to her stove. When she went to put the dish in the oven and close the door, the can “suddenly and without warning” burst into flames. She allegedly suffered burns, scarring, disfigurement, blindness in her right eye, and lung damage. “I was screaming, like I’m dying,” TaylortoldTODAY.
Two other alleged victims, married couple Paytene Pivonka and Jacob Dalton, describe a similar experience when they were using their gas stove at home. “The can was located on a shelf several feet above the stove when it began spewing gas, propelling the can off of the shelf and onto the stove,” according to a press release from the law firm representing the plaintiffs, Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder. “It then exploded, creating an inescapable fireball that set the couple on fire.”
NBC News also obtained videoof plaintiff Reveriano Duran working in a restaurant kitchen when a can placed in front of a grill allegedly exploded and ignited a fire.
Lawyer J. Craig Smith said in the press release that Conagra “apparently refuses to institute a nationwide recall to ensure that the defective cans sitting on store shelves right now are removed before someone else suffers permanent injury from an explosion.”
Courtesy of Conagra
“When PAM is used correctly, as instructed, it is a 100-percent safe and effective product,” he added.
Each PAM can, including the u-shaped vent design, comes with a caution label alerting customers of its flammable nature. The cans, which contain a propellant, also have a warning that advises against spraying on heated surfaces, or near or open flame, and states that they should not be stored on or near the stove. They also recommend never storing the product above 120°F.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuits are seeking a “a sum in excess of jurisdictional limits,” in addition to legal fees.
source: people.com
