Bookcases, Large Flat Screen TV’s, Dressers, and Stoves are just ordinary pieces of household furniture, right? Yes, but sadly these pieces of furniture can be deadly for children.
The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that since the year 2000, 195 children have died as a result of dresser tip-overs alone. This may not seem like a large number and some may even call this a “freakish” occurence. But sadly this number doesn’t tell the whole story. In 2016, the number of recorded injuries and deaths for children under 6 years old increased by 33%, according to the CPSC.
With All of the Information Out There on How to Keep Kids Safe, Why are More Kids Getting Injured or Killed by Furniture Tip-Overs?
Many parents simply aren’t aware of the problem. They buy baby gates, car seats, outlet covers and never even know about furniture tie-downs or that furniture can tip over so easily in the first place.
Dressers account for 11% of the accidents. Similar to a heavy file cabinet, a heavy top drawer can cause the center of gravity to shift and the dresser will fall. Now imagine how easily this can happen when a small child decides to climb up the dresser by pulling the drawers out. Often times, parents report that a child was trying to get to a desired object.
Even though children are the most likely victims to be injured or killed, the industry still operates under a voluntary standard. Because it is voluntary, the industry does not have to conduct ANY TESTING to make sure the products they are selling meets the recommended standard. The current tip-over testing standard is that any dresser over 30 inches in height stay upright when 50 or more pounds are placed in an open drawer.
From 2014-2016, 30,700 people were treated in the ER for injuries that were a result of appliance, TV, or other furniture tip-overs.
What Can Be Done to Prevent these Deaths and Injuries?
Secure furniture and appliances. The best way is to use brackets and tie downs to attach furniture to walls. Many people are not aware of bracket kits that are available to prevent furniture tip-overs. We believe that bracket kits should be sold with every piece of furniture or appliance that could tip-over.
Do not place TV’s on top of dressers. Fifty-three percent of reported fatalities from tip-overs involved TV’s and dressers tipping over together.
Do Your Research. Consumer Reports recently tested over 24 furniture brands. While their research shows that no one can tell if a dresser will tip over by simply examining it, they did conclude that dressers with heavier backs, greater depths, and had less drawer extension were far less likely to tip over when tested.
Lobby for an Industry Standard. Consumer Reports also surveyed top furniture makers in the country to inquire about their thoughts on the current industry standard. Even though one might assume that the industry would prefer that the industry standard remain voluntary, the majority actually said that government regulations on testing their products would serve the consumer by increasing safety and provide consistency for all manufacturers. Industry leaders view this as a win-win.
Why I Care….
I have two kids, now age 9 and 12. Aside from a few spilled glasses of milk and the occasional wet towel left on the floor, they’re pretty careful and their behavior is mostly predictable. In other words, I don’t expect to see either one of them climbing up a tall piece of furniture as soon as I turn my back. But 6 years ago, all bets were off and my wife pulled our 3 year old down off of the top off the couch and off the top of the refrigerator more than once. She also had to dislodge our daughter’s head from the rungs of a banister…. but I digress, kids are kids and therefore, are unpredictable. It is likely that any child will climb a dresser or bookcase or stove or TV stand.
Before my children were born, I had heard of furniture tie-downs only because I had a tip-over case where a young boy was severely injured. A single mother had placed a pot of water on the stove to boil. She turned her back for a few seconds to check on an infant, and her older child opened the over door, climbed on it in order to reach something that was on the counter. The mother heard the boy’s screams and rushed back in to the kitchen to find the stove had tipped over and had dumped the pot of boiling water on her young son. He suffered severe burns. He spent several months recovering from his injuries and has permanent scarring. Her landlord had never secured the stove using the anti-tip products that came with the stove!
To learn more about this case and other experience I have, click here.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed due to a dangerous product, please call The Thomson Law Firm today for a FREE consultation. (540) 777-4900.
