According to a recently released Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report, tip-over incidents continue to cause too many avoidable injuries and fatalities, primarily in children under the age of 18. Although there was a 55% decrease in emergency-department (ED) treated tip-over injuries in people of all ages from 2011 to 2020, thousands of children continue to sustain injuries – and far too often fatal ones – in tip-over incidents every year. As the CPCS’s Anchor It! campaign enters its seventh year, the agency is reminding parents and caregivers that anti-tip-over kits are not only inexpensive and easy to install, but that they protect children, teens, and others in the household from experiencing grievous bodily injuries.
Furniture tip-overs occur when a piece of furniture topples over on top of a person, which is typically (but not always) a child. Tip-overs normally result from some type of interaction, like when a person climbs on or exerts force on the object while it is in its normal position. Most American homes contain several heavy furniture items that create unintentional hazards, like dressers, tables, cabinets, stands, bureaus, wardrobes, and bookshelves. For example, Americans bought 45 million new televisions last year alone. When consumers leave clunky furniture items unsecured or neglect to adequately anchor them, it creates an extremely dangerous situation at home.
In its report, the CPSC provided injury estimates for the years 2018 through 2020 in addition to an extensive list of fatality reports spanning two decades (2000-2020). Here are some of the agency’s key findings in regard to tip-over incidents:
Ensuring that furniture, televisions, and appliances are safely secured in the home is quick, easy, and inexpensive: anchoring kits usually sell for about $20 and take less than 20 minutes to install. As part of its Anchor It! campaign, the CPSC is reminding adults to take the following steps in order to protect their families from tip-over-associated hazards:
To learn more about the CPSC’s Anchor It! campaign and to read useful tips on how to install an anchoring kit, visit here.
Sometimes, a defective, inherently unsafe, or inadequately labeled product is to blame when a preventable injury or death occurs. In early 2020, for example, Ikea reached a $46 million settlement with a family who’s 2-year-old son died when an unsecured Ikea dresser fell on top of him. According to the family’s lawsuit, the dresser was “inherently unstable”. The CPSC has received at least eight reports of children who died in similar tip-over incidents involving recalled Ikea dressers.
Manufacturers, suppliers, and sellers are each equally obligated to produce and sell safe products to consumers. When a product like a television, dresser, bookshelf, or bureau causes harm due to an unsafe design, a manufacturing defect, or because it neglects to provide proper instructions and warnings, the victim may have a products liability lawsuit on their hands. A successful products liability claim requires a tenacious and credentialed attorney who has the resources and experience to successfully pursue the client’s case. For over 75 years, the attorneys at Galfand Berger have helped thousands of individuals injured by dangerous and unsafe products to obtain justice.
If a tip-over incident injured you or your loved one and you would like to speak to a lawyer about filing a claim, contact the Philadelphia products liability lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.