Tipped Dresser Kills Toddler and Leads to a Massive Settlement
A tipped dresser from major furniture retailer, Ikea, caused the suffocation death of a two-year-old boy in 2017. The child’s name was Jozef Dudek. Ikea reached a settlement with Dudek’s parents for $46 million as a result of his wrongful death. The parents of Dudek believe that this accident could have been avoided if Ikea created more awareness surrounding the company’s product recalls.
Recall for Dangerous Dresser Issued
The dresser that killed Jozef was recalled a year before the boy’s passing. While the Malm dresser had already been recalled, the Dudek family was not aware of the recall because they had not heard about it from anyone else; Ikea did not send them anything to tell them about the recall.
It was due to that lack of awareness and the faulty product that the family decided that filing a lawsuit was the right move to make. The lawyers who represented Jozef Dudek’s parents were certain that they would have a strong case against Ikea because the company had already admitted to selling dressers that did not meet the required safety standards. In addition to not meeting those safety standards, it was proven that the dresser was not as stable as it could have been, which could have easily put more children at risk.
Due to these findings, Ikea had to recall over 17 million of its dressers worldwide. Despite the massive recall, many were still unaware that the dresser was not safe to have in a room with young kids, including the Dudek’s. They did not expect to lose their child at such a young age because of a tipped dresser.
The child’s mother expressed how much she misses her son. She says that she did not think her small child would have the ability to pull a large dresser on top of himself, but she quickly learned that this was something that happened to other children. Her son was not the only one to suffer the exact same fate, and she knew that something had to be done about it.
Dangerous Products Often Lead to Serious Injuries or Death
When a product is even the slightest bit defective, it can cause harm to a consumer. The company producing that product is at fault because they have sold something that had a defect. Products that are sold to consumers should meet the safety requirements to prevent hazardous situations from taking place.
It was hard for the Dudeks to lose their son to such a tragic freak accident. They knew that they needed to take a stand in some way by holding Ikea financially responsible for their child’s death, and that is exactly what they did. On the other hand, Ikea has acknowledged its mistakes and has offered its condolences to the Dudek family.
The company is working on different ways to reach more consumers when recalls occur because they do not want these serious and tragic accidents to happen to other children and consumers. In the meantime, Joleen Dudek has stated that the family plans on donating at least $1 million from the settlement to various organizations, including Kids in Danger and Consumer Reports, both of which are exposing the dangers associated with dressers that have the potential to tip over and land on children.
Contact a Nutley Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Product Liability Case in New Jersey
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to product liability in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Birkhold & Maider, LLC represent clients injured because of product liability in Nutley, Paterson, Clifton, Passaic and throughout New Jersey. Call 973-784-8583 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 189 Franklin Avenue, Suite 1 Nutley, NJ 07710.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
