The risk of falling furniture was the top cause for child deaths, but parents and caregivers need to be aware that accidents can happen anywhere. IKEA has been taking steps to prevent tip-overs in recent years with a variety of solutions including new types of beds which are slanted away from windows.
The “furniture tip-over statistics” is a recent study that shows the number of child deaths due to falling furniture. The study also mentioned ikea’s tips for reducing the risk of falling furniture.
The terrible loss of an 18-month-old boy in Yakima, Washington, has raised awareness of the dangers of falling furniture, particularly for families with young children.
Every year, 26 children are murdered by furniture and television tip-overs—one every two weeks on average. Annually, up to 40,000 individuals are harmed in similar situations.
The Yakima tragedy occurred just a few weeks after another IKEA-related fatality was revealed, one of seven deaths linked to the IKEA Malm chests that were recalled in June 2016.
IKEA has also received 41 complaints of tip-over occurrences relating to the Malm brand of chests and dressers, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Several lawsuits have been filed as a result of these injuries and fatalities.
IKEA stated on December 22, 2016, that it has negotiated a $50 million settlement with the families of Curren Collas, Camden Ellis, and Ted McGee, three children who died in recent years after being crushed by IKEA furniture. The amount of $50 million will be split among the three families.
IKEA Must Be Held Accountable
In June, IKEA issued a recall for 29 million chests.
“The safety of our goods is our utmost concern,” IKEA said in a statement last month, adding that “this further occurrence further highlights the necessity to correctly attach chests of drawers to the wall using the provided restraints following the construction instructions.”
The 29 million dressers and chests recalled by IKEA in June, according to The New York Times, do not exceed voluntary safety criteria imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“If you have or believe you have one of these goods, act quickly,” CPSC chairman Elliot F. Kaye urged after the recall. It’s just too risky to leave the recalled furniture alone in your house, particularly if you have small children.”
The CPSC’s statement this month that a two-year-old child in Woodbridge, Virginia was killed by a falling Malm chest in September 2011 reaffirms this message.
According to the CPSC’s official tally, this is the fourth Malm fatality, and the seventh according to IKEA.
The Best Way to Prevent Accidents Is to Anchor Furniture
IKEA handed out free wall anchor kits to consumers in July 2015 to improve the safety of their items. Unfortunately, the majority of clients were ignorant of the dangers presented by freestanding furniture, therefore the offer went unreported.
“But other [victims’ parents] claim their regrets aren’t from having disregarded a warning,” Olivia Hall writes in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s shocking and extensive investigation of the tip-over epidemic. They had never heard of tip-overs until their kid was murdered in one.”
The following are the CPSC’s rules for avoiding furniture tip-over injuries:
- Protect and anchor!
- Make use of strong furnishings.
- Make sure your television is safe.
- TVs with flat screens should be mounted.
- Observe the directions.
- Low and consistent (CRT TV)
- Ensure that top-heavy furniture is secure.
- Remove any enticing items.
The commission, on the other hand, may not have been fully helpful during the furniture tip-over issue.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has filed a lawsuit against the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) seeking records.
The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission should be on the same page when it comes to the dangers of furniture tipping over: they both want more people to be aware of the dangers and more manufacturers to be held accountable.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, on the other hand, filed a complaint on November 21, seeking that the commission be more cooperative with required information. The eight-page complaint reads as follows:
CPSC has completely disregarded seven of the ten [Inquirer’s] requests, and it has still not notified Plaintiffs of what information it intends to disclose in two of the remaining three. This case is based on the nine pending petitions.
The following records are the subject of the requests:
- Emails from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) concerning the July 2015 repair program and the June 2016 recall
- Employees of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) who were employed in conjunction with the recall have contracts.
- A copy of the CPSC’s travel policy may be seen here.
- All CPSC workers’ names, titles, and salaries
- The CPSC performed market research on service contracts and the IKEA recall.
- Participation in the CPSC’s travel card program is documented.
- Any CPSC workers who went to Sweden or another IKEA office should keep track of their expenses.
- CPSC reports on the IKEA repair and recall activities have been completed.
- Specific IKEA product testing and accident notification documentation
- IKEA and its lawyers gave a PowerPoint presentation to the CPSC.
- Attorneys for IKEA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission corresponded.
- IKEA’s comprehensive report on one dresser type was sent in a letter.
According to the lawsuit, the Philadelphia Inquirer wants to look into any cooperation between the CPSC and IKEA. Or, at the very least, the newspaper wants all of the facts about the infamous Malm dresser line and the CPSC’s handling of the situation.
“Data from hospitals reveal that the trend [of furniture fatalities] isn’t slowing down.”
“Hospital records reveal the trend [of furniture fatalities] is not lessening, despite efforts by safety advocates and others,” the Inquirer complaint continues.
The action will now be decided by a judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Please call us immediately for a free, no-obligation case evaluation if you or a loved one has been hurt in a furniture tip-over accident.
The “are ikea malm dressers safe now” is a question that has been asked many times. The answer is yes, they are safe now. However, there are some things to take into account before purchasing an IKEA product.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have died from Ikea furniture?
A: There have been no reported deaths from Ikea furniture.
Did Ikea get sued for tip-over?
How many kids die of falling furniture?
A: The number of children who die from falling furniture is unknown.
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