Pennsylvania woman gets $7.1 million in damages from Conagra

An Illinois jury ordered Chicago-based Conagra Brands to pay $7.1 million to a Pennsylvania woman who was severely burned when a can of cooking spray caught fire in the kitchen of her workplace.

The woman, Tammy Reese, was working in a kitchen at the Hub City Club in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, in May 2017 and was using Pam cooking spray when it suddenly “exploded in a fireball, causing burns,” according to the complaint filed in 2019.

Ms. Reese suffered second-degree burns to her head, face, hands and arms and required weeks of burn care, said Ms. Reese’s attorney, J. Craig Smith.

The jury found in Ms. Reese’s favor on counts including liability, design defects, failure to warn, negligence and intentional and wanton conduct, according to documents filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court.

Conagra Brands, the parent company of Pam and several other brands including Marie Callender’s, Reddi-wip and Chef Boyardee, must pay $3.1 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in compensatory damages to Ms. Reese, according to court documents.

“She has been through a lot and she deserves this compensation,” Mr Smith said. “The can of cooking spray in this case was unreasonably dangerous and they failed to warn about it.”

The lawsuit alleged that the cans were defective because they had a U-shaped vent in the bottom that could cause them to become explosive and the cooking spray contained “highly flammable materials such as propane and butane.”

There are about 50 pending burn victims’ cases against Conagra, brought by Koskoff and Meyers & Flowers, the two firms that represented Ms. Reese.

A Conagra spokesperson said the specific type of cans at issue in the lawsuit have not been available for more than four years. The company also wrote that it disagreed with the jury’s verdict and was evaluating whether to appeal.

Pam and other cooking sprays have clear warning labels stating that the product is flammable and should not be left on or near a stove or heat source, Conagra shared. The Associated Press. Cooking spray should not be stored above 120 degrees or sprayed near an open flame, the company said.

“The safety of our products and our consumers is always a top priority for Conagra,” the statement said. “We continue to stand by our cooking spray products, which are safe and effective when used properly as directed.”