Instant soup and ramen noodle products are very popular for young and lower-income Americans because they are cheap and filling food. But thousands of burn and soup scalding incidents each year highlight the risks of instant soup products. Young children are at the highest risk of hot soup burn injury, and reports say instant soups cause about one in five childhood scald burns in the United States.
Instant soups typically are packaged in thin, plastic microwavable cups, and easy for children to use. But many of the products do not have a proper hot soup burn or scald risk warning on the packaging. Instant soup burn lawsuits and instant noodle injuries are growing with the number of accidents.
Recently, researchers estimated that instant soups and instant noodle cups are to blame for almost 10,000 pediatric burns in the United States each year. Scald burns caused by liquids or steam can be severe and may require hospitalization and surgery.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati burn injury lawyer and Ohio Product Liability Attorney reviewing instant soup burn lawsuits for injured plaintiffs nationwide.
Hot Soup Burn Hazards
Hot foods and beverages must be managed for consumers, or a food manufacturer or restaurant may be held liable for putting consumers at unnecessary risk. Common food products and appliances that can pose fire and burn risks include:
Instant Soup Burn Lawsuits
Most food-related burns affect the bodily region from the shoulders to the groin in children between 4 and 7 years old. Often children are injured pulling food from the microwave or underestimate the heat of a dish. Other times, a poor product design can make instant soups and noodle cups particularly dangerous. Flimsy paper or Styrofoam cups can make for unstable containers.
A 2006 study published in the Journal of Burn Care and Research assessed the stability of instant soup containers and found taller and thinner cups are easier to tip than shorter cups. If manufacturers are aware of the risks their product presents to consumers and fails to warn or protect users, they may be held liable in product liability lawsuits.
The Lyon Firm is experienced in litigating burn injury cases for injured plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of food product lawsuits. When companies fail to warn consumers of the potential risks of their products and injuries result, personal injury and product liability lawsuits may be necessary to hold the negligent party liable.
