It’s the largest recall of furniture in U.S. history: following dozens of injuries and three deaths among children in the past three years, over 29 million dressers and chests have been recalled from the Swedish manufacturer IKEA, far surpassing the second-highest furniture recall of 10 million beanbag chairs sold between the early-1970s and mid-90s. The new recall also includes about 6.6 million chests and dressers sold in Canada.
IKEA’s furniture is notoriously lightweight with low stability, and its dressers have taken the lives of at least six children since 1989, including a 20-month-old who was pinned against the floor by an unanchored four-drawer dresser that tipped over.
In 2014 two young children died similarly in a four-month span, prompting the company to distribute free “anchor kits” for owners of these chests and drawers, but clearly it still wasn’t enough; following a third death this past February of a 22-month-old boy in Minnesota, IKEA initiated a full recall, including full or partial refunds, on every chest or dresser with three-plus drawers ever sold by the company in the U.S. and Canada.
When the defective design or manufacture of a product or line of products results in the injury or death of a consumer, the company may be legally liable for the victim’s injuries and losses. Recent lawsuits against IKEA include a Washington state suit from parents of a two-year-old killed in
June 2014 and a Pennsylvania suit from the parent of another two-year-old killed in the same fashion four months earlier, in February 2014. These injury claims are arising throughout the country to allege that the furniture in question is “inherently unstable,” and they will indeed be complicated legal processes, even for parents who have already been in mourning for years.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a product’s defective design or manufacture or inadequate warning labels, contact America’s Consumer Lawyer for a free consultation. We are a Chicago-based injury law firm representing individuals (and their families) who have suffered an injury in an accident. We will handle your case quickly and advise you every step of the way, and we will not hesitate to go to trial for you.
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