Defective Products Cause Tip Over Deaths
I’m Ed Smith, a Lodi wrongful death lawyer. When consumer products pose a risk to the public, recalls are initiated. However, unreasonable risks of fatal injuries can take the life of a loved one unnecessarily. Besides the sorrow this causes, a family can be faced with financial dilemmas that are devastating.
Fatal Accidents
From dressers that tip over to failed ignition switches, defective items take lives. Tip overs account for 71 injuries or deaths each day in the United States. Approximately two children die every 14 days due to this preventable situation, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Fatal tip overs happen when heavy objects such as televisions, appliances and dressers fall over. Between 2000 and 2011, 349 people died nationwide due to tip overs. Eighty-four percent of this number were children. Every year, 43,000 people are seriously injured due to tip overs with 59 percent of them young people under the age of 18. Furniture is implicated in 52 percent of injuries. Falling televisions are associated with a higher incidence of fatal accidents at 62 percent. Many of the televisions are placed on stands not intended to hold a TV. Appliances such as free-standing ranges are also likely to tip over.
IKEA Dressers
Beginning in 1989, IKEA dressers were implicated in childhood deaths. The problem involved the dresser’s propensity to tip over if it was not anchored to a wall. The design of these dressers involved is an integral part of the problem since the dresser’s inherent instability makes it more likely to tip over. Initially, IKEA did not issue a recall but sent out a notice of a repair program. It wasn’t until 2016 that 29 million IKEA dressers were recalled when a recall notice was issued. The CPSC found that the dressers did not conform with the industry standards set by ASTM F2057-14.
Deaths Associated With IKEA Dressers
The following deaths were associated with IKEA MALM and other dressers:
- 1989: A 20-month-old child died due to a tipped-over IKEA GUTE chest. This is not one of the recalled models.
- 2012: Thirty-month-old killed by RANKE IKEA chest.
- 2011: Twenty-four-month-old child died in tip-over accident with a MALM chest.
- 2014: Twenty-three-month-old died when a MALM chest tipped over.
- 2016: Twenty-two-month-old was killed by a MALM chest.
- 2017: Twenty-four-month-old dies when a MALM chest fell on him.
Safety Standards for Furniture
The active safety standards for units used to store clothing are found under ASTM F2057-14. The requirement is that it is able to withstand 50 pounds of weight. According to reports, when the IKEA dressers were exposed to that weight, they would tip over. Some reports suggest that opening all of the drawers had the same effect.
Ways to Prevent Tip Overs
The CPSC provides ideas of what can be done to prevent tip overs:
- Place items such as televisions on a base that is study, and anchor the item securely.
- Keep anything that is attractive to children off the base stand such as remotes.
- Put anti-tip brackets on stoves and ranges.
- Do not allow children to be in rooms without these safety devices installed.
Lodi Wrongful Death Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Lodi wrongful death lawyer. Defective products are responsible for the loss of life. The grief this brings is heart wrenching. Alongside the grief, many families face the problems associated with financial harm due to the person’s untimely death. Reach out to me for the friendly and free advice. Call (209) 227-1931 in the Lodi area and (800) 404-5400 nationwide. I can also be reached online.
I’ve helped numerous clients in Lodi and Northern California since 1982 with car accidents and catastrophic brain injuries. I’ve also assisted clients with pedestrian and trucking accidents as well as dog bite injuries.
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