$46 Million and Product Recall in IKEA Settlement for Death of Toddler

On January 6, the attorney for the Dudek family, a couple who tragically lost their child due to the tip over of a popular dresser from IKEA, announced a settlement of this matter. IKEA settled for $46 million after the toddler was crushed to death when the dresser toppled over on top of the child. This dresser has been appropriately recalled after at least five other children were killed. This is not the first settlement with these circumstances ending in this tragedy. In 2016, Ikea settled with three families in eerily similar circumstances for $50 million.

 

The current case arose when the Dudeks sued IKEA arguing that the company knew this furniture line was prone to tip over and fail to warn customers. In an effort to mitigate this problem IKEA offered a wall anchoring kit before issuing a full recall of the dresser line.

 

The Dudeks purchased the dresser in 2008, but claim they never got an alert about the recall. On May 24, 2017, Mr. Dudek went into his son’s room to find him trapped beneath the 70-pound IKEA dresser. Joseph passed away from asphyxia after being smothered and choked by the tip over.

 

While the death of a child cannot be undone, this settlement can bring about change going forward that makes furniture safer for children. Consumer protection groups are pressing Congress to enact sturdy guidelines to stop tip overs of unstable dressers. These groups are acting to develop safety standards for a freestanding clothing storage to protect children and families from this life altering tragedy.

Broussard, David & Moroux is a Lafayette-based law firm consisting of attorneys who are experienced in product liability actions against manufacturers of defective equipment and medical devices that cause injury or death. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to a harmful product, contact the attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux to discuss your legal rights at (337) 233-2323 (local) or (888) 337-2323 (toll-free).