Owners of Teflon Pots and Pans Seek Big Damages
EmailConsumers from across the country are seeking big monetary damages from DuPont, the manufacturer of Teflon nonstick cookware coating. A complaint filed in federal district court in Iowa yesterday alleges that DuPont knew that the nonstick pans were unsafe to use at certain temperatures and that the company failed to warn the public about the dangers. The plaintiffs are asking that DuPont be forced to cough up the profits they’ve made off of Teflon, which could add up to $5 billion.
"This class action suit seeks to determine what DuPont knew about the safety of their cookware and when they knew it," said Kimberley Baer, an attorney representing plaintiffs in Iowa.
Scientific studies have found that Teflon’s key chemical, called PFOA, is linked to cancer and organ damage in laboratory animals and that it is in the blood at low levels of almost all Americans. DuPont has already paid more than $100 million to settle lawsuits brought by residents who live near a Teflon plant in West Virginia.
DuPont said in January that it has voluntarily agreed to virtually eliminate, by the year 2010, any new emissions of the key Teflon chemical from its factories.
When Teflon cookware gets overheated, starting around 500 degrees, the mix of chemicals that is given off by the pans can make people sick with what is known as the ‘Teflon flu.’ Symptoms for the flu include headache, chills, backache, and a fever of 100 to 104 degrees. DuPont insists that cookware coated with Teflon is safe when used properly and under normal cooking conditions. The company says the allegations made by the plaintiffs are "without merit."
The EPA is still investigating the safety of PFOA, but they are not at the moment recommending that anyone throw out their Teflon cookware.
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Everyone who has used Teflon coated cookware experienced the burned or charred coating after heavy use. The coating when heated, changes chemical composition and flakes off only to be digested and yet the big brains in Dupont didn’t know this.?? Give me a break.
Posted by: Frank | May 10, 2006, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
I agree with Frank. I have gotten rid of all my pots and pans that had Teflon in it. I wish I would have known about the dangers before now. My 4 yr. old has been exposed to these chemicals for the last 3 or so years. Maybe thats the reason most American’s “just don’t feel good”.
Go STAINLESS!
Posted by: Stephanie | May 10, 2006, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm
As usual, the EPA is “doing a heck of a job” protecting us from the hundreds of unregulated and virtually untested chemicals in the products we use every day. Is it any wonder 1 out of 5 Americans get some kind of cancer?
Posted by: faith | May 10, 2006, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
OK, there is a problem. What is the solution for those people who are affected by the coating? What can they do about it? What kind of treatment is being investigated to combat the effects of the coating?
Peter
Posted by: Peter | May 10, 2006, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm
Teflon screws up motors,why not people.Me thinks they simply didn’t care,or expected any bad results to not be able to be tied to Teflon. Simple corporate greed.We should be used to it by now,I suppose.
Posted by: Dale | May 10, 2006, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
“This class action suit seeks to determine what DuPont knew about the safety of their cookware and when they knew it,” said Kimberley Baer, an attorney representing plaintiffs in Iowa. – Correct me if I am wrong, but DuPont doesn’t make cookware. They make Teflon which others used to coat their cookware. Those companies don’t have the deep pockets DuPont does, so that is the reason the attorneys are going after them.
Posted by: Sam | May 10, 2006, 1:42 pm 1:42 pm
How can I get in the suit? I’ve been using the stuff for years and never knew it was bad.
Posted by: tim | May 10, 2006, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
Good point. Not only does DuPont not manufacture Cookware- but their finished Teflon branded nonstick does not contain PFOA. As I understand it, PFOA- which is an acid, is only used for processing the nonstick formula into a liquid. I might not agree with DuPont’s business practices, but I think this issue is greatly confused. I will continue to use my nonstick fry pans.
Posted by: Tony | May 10, 2006, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
I would like to have more info on how to get in on the Law Suit as I have used Teflon Pots and Pans for Many Years. Can anyone tell us how to participate in the suit?
Posted by: Robin | May 10, 2006, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
Guys, come on. How many more lawsuits can you jump on the bandwagon of? If you haven’t gotten sick from it, what is the harm? Are you cooking your food at 500 degrees? If so, then you’re not using good sense. Let’s continue to blame big corps for our own stupidity. It’s the American way!
Posted by: Lawsuit antimonger | May 10, 2006, 2:59 pm 2:59 pm
How do I get into thos lawsuit I have had telfon pans that have over heated many times
Posted by: Steven Carlson | May 10, 2006, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
My daughter left a Teflon pan on a burner and the fumes it gave off killed my macaw and orange wing amazon parrot. The stuff is toxic and I find it hard to believe there were no warnings given by the company.
Posted by: Mike | May 10, 2006, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
Count me in too! I don’t need to wait for any evidence that this actually affects people or that DuPont did anything wrong. I just want a payout.
Posted by: W. Hiner | May 10, 2006, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
All these comments are nonsense. Anything when burned can cause temporary health problems. Smoke from a campfire can make you sick. Food will burn before the Teflon will. This is another case of corrupt people going after deep pockets. No ONE SEEMS TO KNOW ANY SCIENCE! I am really getting sick of this behavoir!
Posted by: Gary Rademacher | May 10, 2006, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
Personally, I plan to keep using Teflon. I have grown up with it and I’m still healthy. My parents are in their 60′s and they have no ill effects of years and years of using it. Just like I’ve said about second hand smoke…Maybe you get sick because you have a defective gene in your system.
Posted by: Texas | May 10, 2006, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm
So how often does a frying pan (for example) get raised over 500? Just curious. I guess ovens can get raised to 500 or broil, but what about the pans?
The prior poster did raise a good point — we are absorbing chemicals and carcinogens from a number of common sources, whether that’s the carbon and trace elements from standard campfires (“Ban S’mores!”) or even from automobile exhaust, right?
Is the amount of material we absorb from Teflon inordinate, and how does it compare to other common materials we find in our environment?
And how prevalent is “Teflon Flu?” Just curious if anyone knows any hard numbers. ANY drug — even a positive one — always has a small number of people who are impacted negatively. Are the numbers expected here, or are they inordinate?
Posted by: Fortunato | May 10, 2006, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
You can all jump into the lawsuit, but the only parties that will get anything substantial from it are the lawyers. You’ll be lucky to get a couple of bucks. I’m guessing that it will end up like the Vioxx cases in the end — thousands of cases that have to be litigated separately because every party has different circumstances, e.g., some never cooked at over 500 degrees, some used the pans for 2 years and some used them for 15 years, some have measurable damages, some don’t… If you are concerned — just consider the value of the lawsuit as learning that the teflon coating is dangerous and quit using it.
Posted by: Kelli | May 10, 2006, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
I am hoping that John Stossel will take on the Teflon issue and investigate. Or did he already?
Posted by: Jim | May 10, 2006, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
I think the point is that dangerous chemicals have been used in excess in our society for quit some time now and we are unfortunately starting to see the ramifications of this exposure. While I do agree that our first reaction should not be to jump on the next lawsuit bandwagon, we are owed a measure of retribution if indeed these chemicals have caused such harm. Though on the other hand, one could argue that we have put far too much faith in our reliance on modern convenience and have blissfully slipped away from common sense safety when it comes to our own personal health.
Posted by: Old Dog | May 10, 2006, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
Brian,
Great work as always on the teflon as it is with all of your investigations; please tell us if you or your team discovered any other kitchen and/or household items with toxic chemicals that cause health problems, medical issues and/or organ damage.
Brian – separately – I think you and your team should do research on the large state (CA & NY etc) and multi-state LOTTERIES (Powerball & Mega-Millions etc) because they are never publicly and/or routinely audited – as they should be given they are state revenue generators – there are notable statistical anomalies in the outcomes of all of these lotteries and given the large sums (billions of $USD each year) you would think the apparatus the ping pong balls and everything and everyone associated with each drawal is audited; there are several examples of numerical anomalies in the outcomes all of these lotteries – it seems any dedicated group always scrounging for money – ie republicans, clandestine intelligence outfits -with governors and political connections in key states that oversee these large lotteries could easily tamper with the apparatus of these lotteries – let me give you an example – if the size and/or weight of the ping pong balls were marginally altered – this could easily affect outcomes; however it is in the first instance because these lotteries are revenue generators- they should be AUDITED from all angles -including the lottery apparatus and ping pong balls before and after each drawal – why not? – Joe from OC CA
Posted by: Joe | May 10, 2006, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
There is a saying: The dose makes the poison. That is to say, that you consume arsenic every single day of your life, and never feel its effects. You consume Dioxin when you eat Ice Cream. The bottom dwelling lawyers are seeking to line their own pockets use junk science to try to convince a favorable jury that something in use for decades is somehow bad. Shame on them, and ANYONE who believes that the Teflon on a pot used even somewhat improperly has hurt them…
Posted by: Paul G | May 10, 2006, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
Why must everyone sue at the drop of a hat. Hell my best friend when I was 10 years old ran over my foot with his bicycle, but did I sue him, no. I punched him in the nose.
Posted by: Leroy & Buford | May 10, 2006, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
I see that teflon pots are for sale on ebay. I’ll bet lots of people will try to do that. Shouldn’t that be just as illegal, as what duPont is doing, since the sellers must know the same thing that we now do? It’s a shame that nobody tries to go after the little guy. We’re all money hungry greedy people. It’s not the principle we want to solve, just get the free money.
Posted by: Don | May 10, 2006, 6:28 pm 6:28 pm
It is only in America that we hear about such frivilous law suits because attorneys want to make some good money out of this. There is a lot more we need to go after. The second hand smoke. Our whole food chain system, The pollution in our environment caused by transporting meats in those refrigerated trucks. And for that matter the Air conditioning we use in our cars. May be we should all be vegetarians and live without ACs and not drive but in our local areas to reduce all that pollution that causes so many ill health effects. Who all do we want to sue?
Posted by: Sonia | May 10, 2006, 9:19 pm 9:19 pm
We should sue ourselves as we probably do more damage to ourselves than anyone else does. Poor eating habits, poor or lack of exercise regimin, poor mental health, etc. Guess we should throw out the teflon pans and stop eating. Maybe that will cut down on our obesity problems!
Posted by: Mad Dog Ducati | May 10, 2006, 9:52 pm 9:52 pm
I hope they took the Teflon bath cleaner off the market. Who the heck wants it in our water system?
oh and think about the stain defender clothing, teflon!
Posted by: laurie | May 11, 2006, 12:48 am 12:48 am
Wow! I like this! All in all I think that all of you are right. I hate the people who think that they can get free money off off someone else because of a tail! Yes people have gotten sick, but from what. I dont think that is a reason to sue some company just because they have cash. Be realalistic, if your family owned a company that didnt know about some thing that was wrong with their product who would you react to the sueing?
Just my thoughts… GO CAMPING AND FORGET ABOUT TEFLON!!!
Posted by: Ryan | May 11, 2006, 2:23 am 2:23 am
Are you people really serious? Do you really think that TEFLON is a threat? IN THE WORST CASE, it has to be heated to over 500 degrees to have any negative effects. Using basic physics, I can guarantee that your teflon pan will not reach 500 degrees in your kitchen. The lack of intelligence in the general public is what’s wrong with America, not some mysterious chemical that “gives you cancer.” Why don’t you all just get a job and earn your money, instead of trying to take it from a company that has been around supporting our country since the revolution.
Posted by: Jay | May 11, 2006, 7:59 am 7:59 am
You people act like it is even possible to eliminate all risk in life. Another symptom of the basic cluelessness of most people with respect to technology and science. I don’t see them moving to third-world countries to gain the benefits of pre-industrial society, though. Wake up, stop being wusses, and stop letting the lawyers run your lives.
Posted by: Brad | November 22, 2006, 2:46 am 2:46 am
I don’t care about the lawsuit. Keep your damn money. What I do care about is my healt, and more importantly the health of my 15 month old daughter. I left a pot burning on the stove today, and i am positive that the temperature soared over 500 degress. All I want is to be able to buy a cooking set and not have to worry about it harming me and my daughter, short term by getting the flu, and long term, possible cancer risk. There is no way in this country to get anything done fast. They’ll keep using Teflon for years before anyone pulls it off the shelf. Plus i just read about nickel content in stainless steel. IS nothing safe?
Posted by: Kathryn | December 4, 2006, 4:47 am 4:47 am
I currently am feeling the affects of “Teflon Flu” and can say 12 days later I am still not feeling 100%.
I was aware that teflon was probably “not good” because I remember my MIL saying they don’t use non-stick cookware because they have birds. So it occurred to my during day 5 of me being sick and laying in bed that the night before I fell ill I used my All-Clad non-stick grill pan in the oven at 400 degrees. Everything I have read would dispute that at this temperature one could get sick with the teflon flu which is another reason I am posting this because the fact of the matter is you can. I heated the pan in the oven for 20 minutes and then roasted asparagus on the pan for 20 minutes opening the oven ever 2-3 minutes to turn the asparagus. So I kept on opening the oven and leaning close to the pan to flip the asparagus and I guess just inhaling the fumes each time I opened the oven over a period of 20 minutes was enough to make me sick. It probably didn’t help that I ate most of the asparagus as well. So clearly I will not be using my non-stick pans ever again but I am definitely concerned like others of what my long-term health affects may be.
Posted by: Rebecca Williams | March 27, 2007, 8:42 am 8:42 am
Teflon toxicity was thoroughly tested and deemed safe by the FDA for its use in cookware. ###### did not even have to submit it for this end use because at the time it fell under the housewares exemption. Flu like symptoms can result from grossly over heated Teflon and fumes can kill birds as can burned food fumes.
Posted by: Frank | March 23, 2008, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm