Defective Furniture: Tip-Over Accidents 
There could be a hidden danger lurking within your home. According to a Consumer Reports (CR) study, furniture tip-overs are more common than you might think. Every 17 minutes, “someone in the U.S. is injured . . . by a furniture, television, or appliance tip-over,” states a report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of victims are young children under six.
Children Injured in Tip-Over Accidents
Between 2015 and 2016, CPSC researchers found that young children injured in furniture tip-over accidents increased from 2,100 to 2,800. Alarmingly, “at least 11 percent of [these] injures” could be attributed to “dressers and other clothing storage units” tipping over. This particular category of furniture units has caused approximately 195 child deaths in under 20 years. It caused numerous more injuries. Typically, these tip-over accidents are caused by a young child climbing up the front of a dresser or playing in a drawer. The dresser cannot support the added weight of the child. As a result, the dresser tips over. That often injures or even kills the child in the process. Furniture safety standards state that “any dresser taller than 30 inches should stay upright with 50 pounds of weight hanging from an open drawer.” Product tests are designed to assess the tip-over risk for different furniture pieces. However, these tests are not mandatory for manufacturers. In other words, a manufacturer can sell their product to consumers in the U.S. even if it does not meet furniture safety standards.
Ways to Make Dressers Safer
In a year-long study conducted by Consumer Report teams, researchers concluded that there are many different ways to construct a safe, stable dresser. CR scientists suggest that more stringent safety standards should be upheld within the market. According to the data, the most stable dressers were “deeper,” “heavier,” and “back-weighted.” The dressers had “less drawer extension.” These qualities are all crucial for consumers to remember when shopping for a new dresser or other pieces of furniture. Especially if that furniture will be around young children.
Furniture manufacturers are responsible for designing products with safety and stability in mind. If your child or loved one has been injured or killed in a furniture tip-over accident, you have the right to pursue legal action to hold the company accountable for defective design, manufacture, or failure to warn. At
Hach & Rose, LLP, our skilled
product liability lawyers will fight for you and obtain justice for you and your family's behalf. Call us at
212-779-0057 for a free, no-obligation consultation today.