A Washington woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Target Corporation and Berkshire Blanket & Home Co., Inc., alleging that a defective Threshold Heated Throw blanket sold at Target caused severe burn injuries.
The plaintiff, Wendy West, purchased the Threshold Heated Throw from a Target store in Puyallup, Washington, in November 2022. Within days of normal household use, the blanket overheated beyond safe temperatures, causing burns to all five toes on her right foot. Ms. West required emergency medical care and ongoing treatment from specialists and continues to experience pain, immobility, and sensitivity that will require future medical care.
The lawsuit asserts that the Threshold Heated Throw was defectively designed and manufactured, allowing it to reach unsafe levels of heat without adequate safeguards. It also alleges that Target and Berkshire Blanket failed to warn consumers of the risk of burns and continued to sell the product despite receiving prior customer complaints about overheating incidents.
“Our client trusted a major retailer to sell a safe household product. Instead, she was severely injured by something that should have been tested, designed, and labeled to prevent exactly this kind of harm,” said attorney J. Domenic Martini of Singleton Schreiber. “This case highlights the responsibility that retailers and manufacturers share to ensure their products are safe before they ever reach store shelves.”
Ms. West is represented by attorneys Domenic Martini, Rich Barker, and Daniel Fruchter of Singleton Schreiber and Marie Docter of Briggs & Briggs.
The complaint brings claims for manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, breach of express warranty, and negligence under Washington’s Product Liability Act. The lawsuit seeks damages for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other relief deemed just by the Court.
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, focusing on mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, tribal law, and sex abuse/trafficking. Home to the nation’s largest fire litigation practice, the firm has represented over 30,000 wildfire and explosion victims caused by utilities, government negligence, railroads, and corporate misconduct. Its nationally recognized team has played a leading role in high-profile cases including the 2025 Eaton Fire, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Fire, 2025 Esparto Fireworks Explosion, 2023 Maui Fires, and is also actively litigating wildfire cases throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, and Washington. They are also pursuing groundbreaking litigation against Tesla for misrepresenting their autopilot system, which recently resulted in a historic verdict. Additionally, the firm advocates for survivors of abuse involving hotel chains in California and Washington. With deep experience in complex claims, the firm is committed to helping individuals, families, and communities recover and rebuild.
