CHICAGO (NEWSnet/AP) — A jury in Illinois has ordered Conagra Brands to pay $7.1 million to a Pennsylvania woman who was injured in 2017 when a can of cooking spray ignited in a kitchen at her workplace and set her aflame.

The verdict, issued Monday in favor of Tammy Reese of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, is the first of numerous cases from burn victims with similar accident claims that occurred with Conagra-made cooking spray brands.

Reese was working at a social club kitchen in May 2017 when “suddenly and without warning” a can of Swell cooking spray “exploded into a fireball, causing burns and injuries,” according to a lawsuit filed on her behalf. She suffered deep second-degree burns on her head, face, arms and hands, and scar tissue continues to constrict her movement six years later, according to one of her lawyers, Craig Smith.

Conagra Brands, based in Chicago, must pay $3.1 million in compensatory damage and $4 million in punitive damages to Reese, according to the Cook County Circuit Court verdict. Conagra Brands is the parent company of Pam and many other high-profile food brands.

The company said in an emailed statement that it disagrees with the jury’s verdict and that the “safety of our products and our consumers is always a top priority of Conagra.”

“We continue to stand by our cooking spray products, which are safe and effective when used correctly, as instructed. We are evaluating our legal options, including appeal,” the statement said.

Smith said there are more than 50 pending cases against Conagra from other burn victims, and that the company has refused to issue a product recall for“defective” cans.

“This is really the beginning of a serious problem for Conagra,” Peter Flowers, another attorney for Reese, said Tuesday.

The accidents involved spray can models of various brands manufactured 2011 to 2019 that used a venting system with a lower threshold for heat than previous versions, Smith said. When the can gets too hot, vents on the bottom open to release pressure, discharging its flammable contents, according to the lawsuit.

Consumers may check if their cooking spray cans are vented by looking at whether the bottom of the can has four small U-shaped slits, Smith said. In general, larger spray cans, 10 ounces or more, are affected, he said.

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