St. Louis attorney John Anderson filed the lawsuit November 21st on behalf of the surviving children of 73-year old Pauline Curtis. Mrs. Curtis died in February of 2006 from complications after suffering serious burns. The lawsuit was filed against the Sunbeam company which is the number one seller of electric blankets in the U.S. The company says it stands behind its products, but wouldn't comment on the lawsuit. However, more than a hundred lawsuits have been filed against Sunbeam in the last decade over burns suffered by customers who bought their blankets. Attorney George McLaughlin's handled many of those lawsuits. At his firm's website, you can read more information about the history of heated blanket lawsuits http://www.mhmlawfirm.com/sub/EBFires.jsp.

What's the bottom line if you own a Sunbeam heated blanket? The attorney's recommend that you always check to make sure you've turned off your blanket before you leave your home. Also, they strongly recommend against allowing a child or an older adult to use one. And if you plan to continue using your heated blanket, they say, use it with caution.