Meyers & Flowers Secures Appellate Court Victory Upholding $7.1 Million Verdict in Cooking Spray Explosion Case

Chicago, IL — Meyers & Flowers is proud to announce a significant victory in the 1st District Appellate Court, which has affirmed a Cook County jury’s $7.1 million verdict for our client, Tammy Reese. This decision is a resounding victory for consumer safety and accountability, holding Conagra Brands responsible for the severe injuries caused by their defective cooking spray can.

Our client, a dedicated cook from Pennsylvania, suffered deep second-degree burns and lasting trauma when a can of Conagra’s cooking spray exploded into a fireball while she was working in a commercial kitchen. Despite Conagra’s attempt to deflect blame onto the user, the appellate court upheld the Cook County jury’s finding that the product was unreasonably dangerous due to its defective design and inadequate warnings.

“Our client endured a life-altering injury caused by a product that should never have been on the market,” said Peter J. Flowers, founding partner of Meyers & Flowers and lead trial attorney on the case. “This ruling validates what the jury found—that Conagra prioritized profits over safety, and they must be held accountable for the harm caused by their negligence.”

On appeal, the defense challenged the jury’s findings, arguing that the evidence overwhelmingly favored the company. However, the appellate court rejected those arguments, recognizing that safer alternative designs were available and noted that Conagra was aware of at least eight other similar incidents involving this cooking spray can between 2012 and 2017. Justice Nathaniel R. Howse, writing for the court, emphasized that the evidence supported the jury’s conclusion that the risks of the can’s design outweighed its benefits, rendering the product unreasonably dangerous.

“This decision is not just about our client—it sends a clear message to manufacturers: consumer safety is not optional,” said Frank V. Cesarone, another attorney representing Reese. “Conagra knew about the risks posed by this product, and they failed to act. We are proud to stand with Tammy Reese and other consumers who have been harmed by corporate negligence.”

The $7.1 million verdict, which included $4 million in punitive damages, underscores the jury’s acknowledgment of the serious failures in product safety and the importance of holding corporations accountable.

Tammy Reese was represented by Peter J. Flowers, Frank V. Cesarone, and Nicholas I. Flowers of Meyers & Flowers, along with J. Craig Smith of Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder, a Connecticut-based law firm.

At Meyers & Flowers, we are committed to protecting consumers from dangerous products and ensuring companies are held responsible when they put profits over safety. If you or someone you know has been injured by a defective product, contact us today for a free consultation.

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About Meyers & Flowers

Led by Illinois Top 100 Super Lawyer and former President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Peter J. Flowers, the Meyers & Flowers’ team of experienced trial attorneys routinely take on large challenges and succeed. For more than two decades, the firm has represented clients both locally in Chicago and nationally in a full spectrum of cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, medical malpractice, workplace injuries and wrongful death.

About Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder

Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, based in Connecticut, is a nationally recognized law firm that, in 2022, achieved a landmark legal victory on behalf of nine families of the Sandy Hook School shooting. The firm has also achieved record verdicts for people who suffer serious harm from violation of their civil or constitutional rights, medical malpractice, dangerous products, negligence, corporate or governmental abuse and commercial misconduct.