Hy-Cite is facing a growing number of lawsuits involving people who were burned when the lid opened on a Royal Prestige® Pressure Cooker, resulting in the scalding-hot food, liquid, and steam bursting out of the pot.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Hy-Cite Pressure Cooker burn injury cases in all 50 states. If you were burned by a pressure cooker when the lid opened under pressure, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Pressure Cooker Lawsuits Filed Against Hy-Cite Enterprises
In October 2025, 4 people filed pressure cooker lawsuits against Hy Cite Enterprises for burn injuries. The plaintiffs claim that the lids of their Royal Prestige® pressure cookers could open while the pots were still pressurized, spraying the scalding-hot contents of the pot onto their body.
What Happened?
On October 16, 2025, 2 pairs of plaintiffs filed separate lawsuits against Hy Cite Enterprises, LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Hy-Cite Enterprises is a company based in Wisconsin that designs, markets, and sells Royal Prestige® cookware through a network of independent distributors.
The lawsuits involve people who were using these stovetop pressure cookers under normal conditions to cook food. In the incidents, the pressure cooker’s lid allegedly opened, releasing its scalding contents onto the people nearby.
What Is the Risk?
A pressure cooker lid must to stay locked until the pressure inside drops to a safe level. If the lid fails to lock, the high pressure inside the pot can suddenly release when the lid is opened. As the residual pressure bursts out, it may also carry clouds of scalding-hot steam, sticky foods, and liquids that splash onto anyone standing nearby.
What Do the Lawsuits Claim?
The plaintiffs allege the Royal Prestige pressure cooker was defectively and negligently designed because the lid may not lock effectively. According to both lawsuits:
“[The pressure cooker] failed to properly function as to prevent the lid from being rotated, opened, or removed with normal force while the unit remained pressurized”
The plaintiffs also claim that Hy-Cite failed to adequately test the pressure cookers to UL 136 and UL 1026. The lawsuits accuse Hy-Cite of failing to recall the pressure cooker or redesign it despite economical, safer alternative designs being available.
Pressure Cooker Safety Features
Hy Cite markets the Royal Prestige pressure cooker with multiple safety features. For example, on the Royal Prestige Pressure Cooker product page, some of the safety features include:
- Lid locking mechanism
- Pressure indicator pin
- Safety valve to release pressure
- Pressure release window
- Peace of mind to cook at ease.
Examples of Pressure Cooker Lawsuits
Here are two examples of lawsuits that have been filed against Hy-Cite Enterprises:
- Case 3:25-cv-0085: A man and woman from Las Vegas, Nevada claim they both suffered “serious and substantial burn injuries” on December 14, 2023, while using a Royal Prestige pressure cooker, Model CO1258. The cooker was bought from a Hy Cite independent distributor in or around November 2023.
- Case 3:25-cv-00851: A man and woman from Michigan allege they were both burned on or about December 24, 2022, while using a Royal Prestige pressure cooker, Model CO1255, which was also purchased through a Hy Cite independent distributor.
The plaintiffs are seeking justice and compensation for physical pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, future medical costs for their burns and permanent injuries
Is There a Recall?
No. Royal Prestige pressure cookers have not been recalled. However, the product models named in the lawsuits is an older model. This model can no longer be purchased on the Royal Prestige website, and is used only as a warranty replacement.
Royal Prestige has recalled cookware in the past, however. In January 2013, about 1.7 million units of Royal Prestige 9-Ply Thermal Wall cookware were recalled because they can collapse, crimp, or deform when exposed to heat. No pressure cookers were included in the recall.
Do I Have a Hy-Cite Pressure Cooker Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Hy-Cite Pressure Cooker burn injury cases in all 50 states. If you were burned by a pressure cooker when the lid opened under pressure, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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