Children like to climb on furniture. It’s a fact that often leads to tragic results.
Each year in the U.S., nearly 22,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries suffered from a falling television, a piece of furniture, or an appliance. And, on average, a child will die every two weeks in America from such tip-over related injuries as a result of climbing on unsecured furniture, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Nearly all of these accidents could have been prevented if the piece of furniture or TV was secured with a simple and inexpensive wall anchor or strapping system.
Nonetheless, tip-overs are still occurring regularly despite government-funded public education programs.
One reason: As Americans buy newer, larger, and lighter TVs, many of the older and much heavier Cathode Ray Tube models find their way into other rooms in the house, often precariously perched on stands and dressers not equipped to handle them.
In one recent test, an older model CRT TV dropped from a height of just 36 inches hits with the average force of 12,703 pounds.
In December, Ikea agreed to pay a total of $50 million to the families of three children who died as a result of injuries sustained when the company’s dressers tipped over on them. The families had filed wrongful death lawsuits alleging, among other things, that Ikea had refused to re-design its products to make them more stable and tip-resistant.
Ross Feller Casey is a Philadelphia law firm nationally recognized for winning multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements in all areas of personal injury law, including product liability and premise liability lawsuits.
If a loved one was seriously injured as a result of falling furniture or appliances, you should contact one of our furniture tip-over lawyers immediately for a free case evaluation.
Ross Feller Casey handles all of its cases, including tip-over lawsuits, on a contingency fee basis. That means you will not pay a thing until a financial recovery is made in your case.