Serious Injuries Lawyer Phoenix, AZ
In 2017, two-year-old Jozef Dudek suffocated after Ikea “Malm” drawers fell on top of him at his family’s home in California.
The Ikea drawers weighed 70 pounds and were 30 inches high. In 2016, a year before the accident, the Malm drawers had been recalled by Ikea due to safety concerns after three other 2 year olds were killed. It was the largest recall in the Swedish furniture company’s history.
In December of 2016, Ikea agreed to pay a $50 million combined settlement to the families of the three boys. Ikea later agreed to pay the parents of Jozef Dudek a $46 million settlement, making it the largest child wrongful death settlement in US history.
In response to the deaths of the four toddlers, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently launched a campaign to educate the public about the risks of falling chests, drawers, and other furniture.
The family of Jozef Dudek has stated that they will donate one million dollars of the settlement money to organizations who work to raise awareness about products that are potentially dangerous to children.
“It was only later that we learned that [the dresser] was unstable by design,” the parents of Jozef said in a statement. “We are telling our story because we do not want this to happen to another family.”
“While no settlement can alter the tragic events that brought us here, for the sake of the family and all involved, we’re grateful that this litigation has reached a resolution,” a spokeswoman speaking on behalf of Ikea said. “We remain committed to working… to address this very important home safety issue.”
After the first two toddler deaths, Ikea initially attempted to warn buyers to mount the Malm chests of drawers on the wall while in use, the third death prompted recall of the product. In 2017, Ikea relaunched the recall in North America, stating that chests and drawers, including those in their “Malm” collection, posed a “serious tip-over and entrapment hazard” when not properly secured to the wall.
Following serious injuries to a child a personal injury attorney can be consulted to look into safety issues, possible negligence and claims for damages. The litigation process can be explained. There should be no fee for the consultation. Ordinarily fees, costs are charged only if a settlement is obtained.
Contact the office of Paul Englander, PLC for more information.