Product Liability, Triscaro & Associates

The IKEA recalled chests and dressers are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or injuries to children.

Consumers should immediately stop using any recalled chest and dresser that is not properly anchored to the wall and place it into an area that children cannot access.
Consumers can order a free wall-anchoring repair kit. Consumers can install the kit themselves or IKEA will provide a one-time, free in-home installation service, upon request. Consumers can reorder the kits throughout the life of their chest and dresser.
This recall involves about 8 million MALM chests and dressers and 21 million additional children’s and adult chests and dressers in the U.S.
On July 22, 2015, CPSC and IKEA announced a repair program for the chests and dressers that included a free wall-anchoring repair kit for the MALM chests and dressers and other IKEA chests and dressers. CPSC and IKEA were aware of two tragic fatalities involving MALM chests and dressers that occurred prior to the announcement of the repair program:

• In February 2014, a 2-year-old boy from West Chester, Pa. died after a 6-drawer MALM chest tipped over and fatally pinned him against his bed.
• In June 2014, a 23-month-old boy from Snohomish, Wash. died after he became trapped beneath a 3-drawer MALM chest that tipped over.

Subsequent to the July 2015 announcement, CPSC and IKEA learned of additional tip-over incidents, including a February 2016 incident in which a 22-month-old boy from Apple Valley, Minn. died when a MALM 6-drawer chest fell on top of him.
Most recently, CPSC has identified and provided to IKEA a fourth report of a fatality that reportedly occurred in September 2011. A 2-year-old boy from Woodbridge, Va. died after an unanchored MALM 3-drawer chest tipped over, and trapped the child between the dresser drawers.
None of the chests or dressers in the above-listed incidents had been anchored to the wall.  In addition to the three deaths, IKEA received reports of 41 tip-over incidents involving the MALM chests and dressers, resulting in 17 injuries to children between the ages of 19 months and 10 years old.
The MALM chests and dressers are constructed of particleboard or fiberboard and are white, birch (veneer), medium brown, black-brown, white stained oak (veneer), oak (veneer), pink, turquoise, grey, grey-turquoise, lilac, green, brown stained ash (veneer), and black.  A 5-digit supplier number, 4-digit date stamp, IKEA logo, country of origin and “MALM” are printed on the underside of the top panel or inside the side panel.
Since 1996, IKEA chests and dressers have been labeled to identify IKEA, the model name and the manufacturing date.
The recalled MALM chests were sold from 2002 through June 2016 for between $70 and $200.
RECALLED MALM CHESTS AND DRESSERS

IKEA also received 41 reports of tip-overs involving chests and dressers other than MALMs, resulting in the deaths of three children and 19 injuries to children:

• In July 1989, a 20-month-old girl from Mt. Vernon, Va. died after an unanchored GUTE 4-drawer chest tipped over and pinned her against the footboard of a youth bed.
• In March 2002, a 2½-year-old boy from Cranford, N.J. died after an unanchored                  RAKKE 5-drawer chest tipped over and fatally pinned him to the floor.
• In October 2007, a 3-year-old girl from Chula Vista, Calif. died after a KURS 3-drawer chest tipped over and fatally pinned her to the floor. It is unknown as to whether the dresser was anchored or not.

A child dies every two weeks and a child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or TVs tipping over.
If you have had a child injured due to this recall contact one of our experienced product liability attorneys today.
LET US BE YOUR ADVOCATE – CALL 440.248.8811