April 27, 2004
A Chicago lawsuit against Mr. Coffee and its manufacturer seeks unspecified damages for a Chicago-area child who was scalded by a defective coffee maker at the age of seven.
The suit charges that on January 20, 2004, a Mr. Coffee coffee maker in the family kitchen malfunctioned, spraying Andrea Hettel with scalding water and hot coffee grounds. The child suffered severe internal and external burns and faces a lifetime of medical costs and loss of income, the suit charges.
The suit names Mr. Coffee and its corporate parents, American Household Inc., and Sunbeam Products Inc. It charges that the company knew of the defects plaguing the coffee maker but did nothing to eliminate the defect or warn users of the hazard.
Mr. Coffee is also named in a Chicago consumer's lawsuit which alleges that the company sold millions of the machines even though it knew of design and manufacturing defects that could cause it to expel hot coffee, water and grounds.
