The Consumer Product Safety Commission says Walmart was allegedly aware for seven years that a recently recalled water bottle sold in its stores posed a danger before two people were partially blinded by it.
Last month, Walmart announced that it would recall around 850,000 Ozark Trail 64-ounce stainless-steel water bottles after reports emerged that the lids could “forcefully eject,” causing serious injuries, including partial blindness in two users. The retailer said that customer safety is a top priority and offered full $15 refunds to owners of the affected bottles.
However, a review of documents from the CPSC and legal filings reveals that Walmart had been aware of the danger since at least 2018. In one of the earliest reported incidents, dating to March 2018, a woman outside Atlanta was seriously injured when a lid “exploded” from a bottle containing homemade soup and struck her eye, the Washington Post reports.
Two additional cases followed the same year: One involved hard apple cider stored in the bottle, which “ruptured his left eyeball.” Another involved mango juice, which caused “massive damage” to a user’s jaw and face. All three incidents were settled privately.
In 2020, Walmart added warning inserts to the bottles, advising consumers to only use them for water as improper use was believed to trigger pressure buildup that caused lid failures.
According to the company, reports of lid-related injuries dropped until one more incident occurred in 2024, prompting the CPSC to request a formal recall.
Experts warn that the delay raises concerns about how companies evaluate product safety versus potential liability.
“There’s a measure of risk tolerance that’s being discussed,” said Kevin Mayo, a business professor who studies recall decisions. With the CPSC lacking authority to enforce recalls without cooperation, many potential hazards go unaddressed unless voluntarily acted upon by companies.
According to the CPSC, the recalled Ozark Trail bottles bear model number 83-662 on their packaging (not on the product itself), feature a silver stainless-steel body with a black screw-on lid, measure 4.41 × 4.41 × 11.5 inches, and were sold exclusively by Walmart since 2017 for about $15.
Consumers are notified to stop using the bottles immediately and return them to Walmart for a full refund.
