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'NutriBullet' Users File Lawsuit, Claim Defect Cut & Burned Them

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- There are serious new safety concerns about a popular high-speed blender.

At least 22 people are suing the maker of the NutriBullet. They claim the device malfunctioned and caused serious injuries, including burns and lacerations. The maker of NutriBullet maintains its product is safe, with hundreds of millions of satisfied users.

It is billed as a high-speed appliance that can pulverize foods better than an ordinary blender but some users claim the device is also dangerous.

"It just came flying out all over me, all over the kitchen, the ceilings, the floor," said plaintiff Sheryl Utal.

She says she used her NutriBullet daily for years to make smoothies until one morning it exploded after about twenty seconds causing second-degree burns.

"On fire….it was on my chest. It also had hit me in the face as well," said Utal.

She's one of at least twenty-two people now suing NutriBullet.

The latest Rosa Rivera, who spoke out Tuesday, says her face was badly burned.

"I want to tell the people don't use this product no more because it's dangerous," said Rivera.

Attorney Danny Abir represents both women and claims a manufacturing defect can cause pressure to build up inside the blender.

"The spinning creates heat and pressure inside the canister and the canister can blow up," said Abir.

NutriBullet is contesting the lawsuits Abir has filed on behalf of his clients.

In a statement, the company says, "reports of our blenders causing injury are extremely rare…we typically find customers have failed to adhere to the operating instructions and warnings provided."

The company says that these cases are very rare and this is all a publicity campaign.

"We have 22 cases and we are one firm in Los Angeles," said Abir.

"Had I known that that device, that NutriBullet could hurt me, I wouldn't have used it and so that's what I want people to know is that those can hurt you," said Utal.

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