Posted on Friday, July 8th, 2016 at 6:11 pm
Furniture mega-giant Ikea is recalling 29 million chests and dressers due to the danger posed to children. Several children died and many more children were injured after dressers or chests tipped over onto them. Several lawsuits are pending against Ikea by the parents of children who were injured or killed. According to one attorney, the number of deaths from accidents involving the furniture is actually seven and there are more than 70 injuries. The most recent case was a toddler in Minnesota who died after an Ikea dresser fell on him.
If you have one of the recalled dressers or chests, act immediately! According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, “It is simply too dangerous to have the recalled furniture in your home unanchored, especially if you have young children.”
What Prevents Chests and Dressers From Tipping Over?
The industry standard for a chest or dresser is to remain upright when you extend a drawer and apply up to 50 pounds of weight. Any Ikea furniture that fails this standard is subject to the recall. According to Ikea, the recalled furniture was never intended to be free standing. To install the furniture correctly, anchor the furniture to the wall to prevent tip-overs. Last year Ikea offered free wall anchor kits to owners; however, consumer advocates alleged this did not resolve the issue.
As part of its agreement with federal regulators, Ikea will pick up the recalled furniture from the consumer’s home and issue a refund or install an anchor to prevent tip-overs.
Nursery Furniture Blamed for Thousands of Injuries Each Year
Thousands of children are injured and killed by nursery furniture each year. Some of these injuries and deaths are purely accidental; however, some are the direct result of faulty and defective products. If your child has been injured by a defective product, you have the right to seek compensation on behalf of your child from the responsible party.
The responsible party or parties depend on the type of defect. If the product’s design makes it inherently dangerous, the designer can be held liable for injuries. However, if the manufacturer modified the design causing the product to become dangerous, the manufacturer can be held liable. Another type of defect could result in several parties being held liable. Failure to provide adequate warnings and/or instructions for use could result at several points throughout the manufacturing and distribution chain making several parties liable for any injuries.
Call Tiemann Law Firm Now
When you need an experience and knowledge, call the Tiemann Law Firm at (916) 999-9000 or chat with a representative to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Sacramento personal injury attorney.
