Ejecting Stoppers Prompt Massive Thermos Recall After Injuries

Stop! Before you twist open your hot coffee or homemade soup, beware. Thermos has recalled 8.2 million items because of reports of blindness caused by product defects. 

The recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on April 30,  2026. It includes 5.8 million Stainless King Food Jars and 2.3 million Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles. According to the recall notice, the stoppers lack a pressure-relief valve. Therefore, food and liquids stored in bottles and jars for a long time can cause a pressure buildup that forces the stopper to forcefully eject when opened. Thermos has received 27 reports of customers being struck by the stoppers, who suffered injuries that required medical attention. Three of the customers suffered permanent vision loss from being hit in the eye. 

Affected products include:

• Stainless King Food Jar, models SK3000 and SK3020, manufactured before July 2023
• Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottle, all SK3010 models

The model numbers are on the bottoms of the containers. Products were sold online and in stores from March 2008 through July 2024.

What to do if you have a recalled Thermos

If you own a recalled Thermos container or bottle, you should stop using it immediately. You may complete a claim form to receive either a replacement product or a new stopper with a pressure-relief valve. Do not attempt to return the product to the retailer where it was purchased; the company is not issuing refunds. The only method for relief is by submitting an online claim for replacement or repair.  

You may also call 662-563-6822 between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m CST if you have questions.

Basics of defective product liability lawsuits

If you suffered an injury resulting from a defective product, you might be eligible to recover damages through a product liability lawsuit. 

There are three types of product defects:

1. Design defect, which is when a product is designed poorly or undergoes inadequate testing. The product was below standards and dangerous to use.
2. Manufacturing defect, which means that the product was designed to be safe, but the end result didn’t reflect that design. In other words, something happened in the manufacturing process that made a product unsafe that would have been safe otherwise.
3. Failure to warn, or a marketing defect. This form of negligence involves a product that was properly designed, but did not have the correct instructions or warnings. The lack of guidance made the product unreasonably dangerous.

However, it’s important to note that simply owning a product that was recalled for a defect does not allow you to file a lawsuit. To have standing for a lawsuit, you must have suffered an actual injury (i.e. not the cost of the item). 

If you were injured by one of the recalled Thermos products—whether or not you reported it to the CPSC—you can contact a personal injury lawyer for more information about receiving compensation to cover costs related to the injury.