There are growing instances of injuries and deaths in small children due to dresser tip-over accidents. These accidents are common, with dresser tip-overs being the most common furniture related cause of injury and death to small children. In 2016 alone, furniture and appliances tipping over caused an average of one child death every two weeks.
Dresser tip-over accidents. Who’s at risk?
The organization, Kids in Danger and Underwriters Laboratories, are attempting to raise awareness about dresser tip-overs and other furniture accidents, according to an ABC7 Chicago report. They argue that the current voluntary safety standards are “dangerously inadequate” and fail to protect kids from dresser tip-over accidents.
Only 9 out of 19 dressers passed voluntary safety standards, standards that do not take into account variables like difference surfaces. Surfaces like carpet are much more unstable and put children at further risk. Additionally, these tests only use a 50-pound weight to test the stability of the dresser. When testers increased the weight to 70 pounds, only 2 out of the 19 dressers passed the test.
Preventative measures such as wider bases or wall anchors prevent tip-over accidents. And not all dressers have flaws in their designs. Some manufacturers consider the possibility of dresser tip-over accidents and add measures that prevent the opening of multiple drawers. The result is a more stable dresser that is less likely to fall on an innocent victim. Dressers aren’t the only pieces of large furniture to be worried about, cabinets and bookshelves can also cause problems.
After six reported deaths from children in 2016, IKEA recalled millions of dressers. These deaths were believed to have been caused by dresser tip-overs from their products. And children aren’t the only victims. Elderly people are also at high risk from dresser tip-overs.
A 2016 Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report found that more than 30,000 people end up in the ER every year from injuries as a result of dresser tip-over accidents and other furniture related injuries. These are accidents that sometimes result in serious injury or even death.
Reports of nearly 500 deaths between 2000 and 2015 were a result of furniture related accidents. 12 percent of these deaths were seniors over 60. The other 84 percent of fatalities from furniture accidents were children.
Many believe that large furniture manufacturers should be held responsible for producing defective and unsafe products. They understand that customers can only do so much to protect themselves from these types of accidents. It is their responsibility to manufacture and improve their products in a way that protects customers.
What Can Victims of Dresser Tip-Overs Do?
If you are one of the many who has been affected by dresser tip-over accidents, then a lawsuit may be your best course of action. Lawsuits aim to hold manufacturers responsible for creating defective products that fail to meet proper safety measures due to poor design.
A lawsuit will not heal an injury. It won’t fill the space a lost love one leaves. And it won’t bring them back. But it does hold companies responsible for their actions. It can also help alleviate the suffering caused by an unexpected financial burden from lost wages or medical expenses. If you have suffered the loss of a loved one, then you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the manufacturers.
Dangerous furniture lawsuits help hold manufacturers accountable. If you or anyone you know has been injured from a falling TV or appliance or if there was an injury from a crib defect or a furniture tip-over, then contact Lemberg Law for counsel. Our team has experience with these types of cases. The Lemberg Law legal team is committed to holding furniture manufactures accountable. Complete our form for a FREE case evaluation, or call 844-685-9200 NOW.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions.
He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
