Stephanie Brigham claims Hothands hand warmers burnt holes on her skin

Jun 6, 2014 12:11 GMT  ·  By

An Arizona woman is suing Wal-Mart and Heatmax, a manufacturer of hand warmers, for burns caused on her breasts by a product called Hothands.

Stephanie Brigham filed a federal lawsuit against the two companies in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on Tuesday, accusing them of negligent design, negligent instruction and strict liability claims.

According to the Consumerist, on the product's box, Heatmax says its hand warmers offer “safe, natural heat,” but Mrs. Brigham claims that instead of helping her relieve pain after reconstructive breast surgery, the heat packs burnt holes on her skin.

Court documents obtained by Breaking News USA reveal that Brigham underwent an implant exchange and breast lift surgery on April 18, 2013. On the way back home, she bought three packs of Hothands hand warmers from a Wal-Mart in El Cajon, California, in order to help relieve pain from the procedure.

When she got home, she carefully read the instructions and placed the packs between her shirt and bra hoping that her pain would decrease. However, after a few days, she noticed that the pain was getting worse and realized that it was because the warmers had caused two large burns in the skin on her breasts.

The woman, who works as a nurse, immediately went to hospital and was admitted to the Grossman Burn Unit on May 3. Medics gave her intravenous antibiotics and treated her wounds. Her plastic surgeon later certified that the breast wounds were “contact burns,” not an after-effect of her surgery or any kind of infection, as “the wounds were in locations that were not consistent with wound complications secondary to surgery.”

Brigham claims that whereas Heatmax’s Hothands is only sold as a product providing comforting warmth, the heat it generates is too high and can cause second and third degree burns. While the company apparently instructs users on its website not to put the product directly on the skin, the plaintiff says that the actual package does not include the same warming. That's why she says Heatmax and Wal-Mart are liable for her injuries.

Apparently, Hothands has a history of causing severe burns, and this is not the first time the company is sued by discontent consumers. The woman specifically states in her complaint that there were numerous customer complaints and state court suits in the past filed against Heatmax, but the manufacturer took no steps to make the product safer.