Electric stoves have their advantages over gas ranges. They’re much more responsive to heat adjustments, allowing users to cook at the right temperature. They’re also much easier to clean than gas ranges.
But despite all their advantages, electric stoves can still be fire hazards.
Manufacturer GE recently issued a recall for about 11,000 electric cooktops that could become burn risks. According to the company, the affected cooktops have defective knob components, which allow parts of the cooktop to remain on even when the knob is in the off position.
GE said that it had received 83 reports of a burner remaining on or failing to regulate heat. However, there were no reports of any injuries, so far.
The recall affects some 11,000 GE electric cooktops with mode number JP3030. Only units produced between July and September 2022 were affected. GE recommended that owners of the affected cooktops turn the units off at the circuit breaker when not in use and not leave any flammable materials or empty cookware on top of the stoves. The company also asked owners to contact GE Appliances for a free knob replacement.
The dangers of an unattended electric stove
You might think electric stoves are safer than gas ranges because they don’t produce an open flame. But, according to the National Fire Protection Association, houses with electric ranges have a higher risk of cooking fires and damages than those with gas ranges.
The association also warned that unattended cooking was the leading factor in causing cooking fires and injuries. Unattended equipment caused a significant 28% of all fires from 2017 to 2021. Meanwhile, unattended equipment also caused 48% of all home cooking fire deaths from 2017 to 2021.
On average, cooking causes an average of 158,400, 470 civilian deaths and 4,150 civilian injuries each year.
Filing a product liability lawsuit over defective electric stoves
If a faulty electric stove causes you injury, you should consider filing a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer. A lawsuit would allow you to recover economic damages from the manufacturer to pay for your medical expenses and other losses.
A legal professional may also be able to provide you with guidance on how the lawsuit process works and even represent you in court if the case is brought to trial. You might want to speak to one before filing anything.