June 28, 2016 — After years of ineffective warnings about deadly tip-over accidents, IKEA has recalled 29 million top-heavy dressers after yet another toddler was killed.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that six children have died and 36 were injured by IKEA furniture that tipped over.
The popular MALM dressers injured 17 children and killed three, with the most recent death being a 22 month-old boy from Apple Valley, Minnesota who died when a 6-drawer chest fell on top of him. Several lawsuits have already been filed and settled out of court.
Other dressers have also killed three children and injured 19, including:
- July 1989, a 20 month-old girl from Mount Vernon, Washington died under a GUTE 4-drawer chest
- March 2002, a 2-1/2 year-old boy from Cranford, New Jersey died under a RAKKE 5-drawer chest
- October 2007, a 3 year-old girl from Chula Vista died under a KURS 3-drawer chest
IKEA has known about the problem for years. In July 2015, the company issued a campaign offering free wall-anchoring kits. However, the reality is that most people do not bolt their furniture to the wall.
An investigation by the Philadelphia Inquirer found that the furniture fails even the most basic stability tests. IKEA admits that the dressers “do not meet performance requirements of the U.S. voluntary industry standard.”
According to the CPSC, furniture tip-over accidents injure 43,000 people every year, including about 25,000 children. The agency warns that one child dies every two weeks after being crushed under a TV, furniture, or appliance.
Do I have an IKEA Tip-Over Injury Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting IKEA dresser induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your child or somebody you know has been injured by IKEA furniture, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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