Wrongful Death Dressers from IKEA
Numerous products can cause a death or serious injury if they are not manufactured properly. This can happen in Houston or in Texas, as it has been happening across the country.
IKEA is in the spotlight again for its unstable Malm dressers. The parents of a 2nd toddler that was killed from the dresser falling on top of him filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the company. According to Phlly.com.
“According to the latest lawsuit, Camden was pinned beneath a three-drawer Malm on June 11, 2014. His father, Charles, found his son, lifted the dresser off him, and shouted for his wife, Crystal Borm, who began to perform CPR, the suit says.
Camden was taken to the hospital and remained on a ventilator for four days. His parents then removed him from life support.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for, among other things, medical expenses, funeral expenses, Camden’s pain and suffering, and the family’s emotional distress.
IKEA, a Swedish company with U.S. headquarters in Conshohocken, declined to comment Wednesday, citing a policy against discussing ongoing litigation. In a statement, it said: “The safety of our customers is the highest priority at IKEA. We continue to work cooperatively with the CPSC on the important issue of tip-over safety.”
Lawyer Alan Feldman, who is representing both the Ellis and Collas families, said Malm dressers are inherently unstable and IKEA, which provides tip restraints to anchor the dressers to the wall, has placed the burden for making them safe on consumers.”
While the wrongful-death lawsuits against the company for this issue is something new, the problems with these dressers is not. USA Today reported at least 14 other reported incidents of these dressers tipping over and 3 additional deaths from other IKEA chests or dressers tipping over.
Even with the number of incidents, the company has not recalled these products to protect consumers. Instead, they chose to participate in a different type of recall where they offer free wall anchoring kits. These anchoring kits may show that the company is doing something to prevent their dressers from tipping over, but it is a minimal action at best.
The anchoring kits put the burden on the parents to make safe a product that is unsafe. And if the kits are not installed correctly, the dressers can still tip over. This is a serious problem with sometimes fatal consequences if it’s not properly addressed.
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If you own an IKEA dresser that has tipped over and injured a loved one, please contact us today for a free case evaluation.
Michael S Callahan is an attorney and founder of The Callahan Law Firm. He focuses his practice on representing individuals and families in personal injury cases involving motor vehicle and truck accidents, workplace accidents and defective products. With over 25 years of experience, he is dedicated to fighting on behalf of people whose lives have been forever altered by the negligence and carelessness of corporations and individuals. Originally trained as a mechanical engineer, Michael has been practicing law and fighting for justice for those who need it most since 1994. He is board-certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of various esteemed legal associations. Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending quality time with his family, outdoor activities, and continually striving to improve as a trial lawyer and human being.
