Patient Safety News: Ohio Woman Suffers Serious Burns from Exploding Cooking Spray

According to a news article, Carrie Jones of Northgate, Ohio experienced severe burns to her face, arms, and chest when a can of cooking spray exploded near her stove while she was cooking.

Jones said the only thing she remembered before the explosion was putting a fork in a pan. “I was blown away. I was exploded upon, and I was on fire,” she said.

Colerain Township firefighters worked quickly to help Jones using emergency equipment, like cardiac monitors and medications. According to fire officials, the source of the fire was an aerosol cooking spray can next to the stove, which they suspect overheated or fell onto a flame.

Jones was treated at a local hospital and at a burn clinic. She said she found it hard to complete basic tasks like bathing or getting dressed. She knows that if her eyes had been open when the explosion took place, she could have become blind. She couldn’t return to work because of her injuries. Friends and family collected donations to help pay medical expenses her insurance wouldn’t cover.

She said that she didn’t intend to leave the spray can near her stove. “Be cautious of your surroundings, of things that are combustible, of things that are explosive,” Jones said.

Berman & Simmons attorneys Michael Bigos and Christopher Boots are handling claims involving consumers who have been harmed by cooking oil spray can explosions and fires. Aerosol cans have been known to burst in extreme heat, however, defective design, over-pressurization, and highly flammable contents are also among the contributing factors in these incidents.

“Several claims against manufacturers of exploding cooking spray cans are currently underway nationwide and I’m hopeful that they will result in safer cooking spray products,” said Bigos. “Those seriously injured should receive the compensation they may be entitled to and manufacturers should be held accountable for their negligence.”