Ikea recently agreed to pay a California $46 million as part of a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit of their toddler, Jozef, who was killed when an Ikea Malm dresser fell on him in May 2017. Jozef’s death is one of eight believed to be a result of Ikea dressers, which were deemed to be at risk of tipping over if unsecured. The settlement represents the largest so far, likely a reflection of Ikea’s failure to take significant enough action to recall their dressers and change their designs following prior deaths.
A Tragic History
The first pair of wrongful death lawsuits stemmed from the 2014 deaths of Curren Collas and Camden Ellis, who both also died as a result of Malm dressers tipping over. In response to these initial deaths, Ikea began giving customers wall-mounting kits and suggesting that customers should secure their dressers to walls. Following another death—Ted’s McGee in 2016—Ikea recalled several types of dressers, totaling an estimated 17 million per NPR. Ikea settled with all three families for a total of $50 million that year.
Inadequate Action
According to the Dudek family’s attorney, they never received a recall notice about the dressers. Moreover, Ikea was criticized by a number of consumer safety groups for opting to offer wall mounts instead of redesigning their products. Likewise, Ikea did not make use of other voluntary testing services in the industry to prevent these sorts of accidents. Now, the Malm dresser and other dressers in Ikea’s line have been finally been redesigned.
Personal Injury Attorney Services for Wrongful Death Claims
In the United States, businesses have a responsibility to ensure that the products they sell are safe for consumers. Ikea failed this duty repeatedly, and this is likely not the final lawsuit they will face as a result. Any death is tragic, but when that death is called by irresponsible or negligent action, it is important to hold culpable parties accountable.
If you lost a loved one to wrongful death, no settlement will bring them back. However, you can get justice and help prevent the same thing from happening to someone else. Brian A. Newman has nearly 40 years of experience helping Torrance and Los Angeles County families get fair compensation for their personal injury claims. Call (424) 254-5186 today to schedule a complimentary consultation for your case.
