IKEA Offering Free Kit To Anchor Dressers, Chests Of Drawers To Wall
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Safety regulators say 27 million Ikea dressers could cause serious injury or death if they're not secured to a wall. The furniture-maker is offering a fix for the same model that killed a little Chester County boy last year.
Ikea is providing a free kit to anchor Malm and other chests of drawers to a wall.
Without mentioning two-year-old Curren Collas by name, the retailer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission cite the West Chester boy's death in the notice to consumers -- along with the fatal injuries suffered by another toddler.
Attorney Alan Feldman, managing partner at Feldman Shepherd in Philadelphia, is representing the Collas family in a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against Ikea.
"I think this is an acknowledgement by Ikea that it needs to do more, more should have been done, and more can be done to make people aware of the dangers of furniture tip-overs and to give them the tools to safely secure their furniture."
"We're deeply saddened by this," said Patty Lobell, Ikea's US Commercial Manager, "and hope that our efforts prevent further tragedies."
The action involves children's dressers taller than 23.5 inches, and adult dressers taller than 29.5 inches.
An Ikea spokeswoman says the company's "products are safe when assembled according to the instructions."
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