The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) contends that furniture tip-overs are responsible for injuring thousands of kids each year. They also claim that a child is killed every two weeks as the result of a tip-over.
According to the CPSC, the type of furniture that poses the most risk to kids in the home are dressers. They note that kids tend to like to pull out the drawers on them in an effort to get something that’s left on top of them. When they do, they often use the drawers as stairs and climb on them. This is often what causes them to fall forward.
A recent Consumer Reports investigation found that it doesn’t matter if a piece is heavier or shorter than another as neither factor makes it any more stable than its opposite. Another nonprofit group even randomly tested dresser sold at retailers.
Ones that would appear to be heavier or sturdier many times ended up being the ones to tip over whereas the more lightly constructed ones did not. They, therefore, determined that it’s impossible to pick a safe dresser simply based on looks on the sales floor.
Even when testing dressers that were equally filled with as much as 50 to 60 pounds in the top drawer, dressers of all types at a variety of price points still failed the test.
It’s because of the results of tests like the Consumer Reports one that the CPSC has issued a warning to parents about how to minimize the risk of a child’s injury or death due to a tipped over dresser.
First, they recommend anchoring the dresser to the wall. They note that this will go a long ways to helping avoid it from moving in the first place. Second, they encourage parents to remove all items from on top of the dresser that would make a young child want to climb on it. They note that this means that parents should remove games, toys and the television from there.
If your child has been injured by a dresser that has tipped over, then a New Haven attorney can advise you of your right to file an injury lawsuit to recover medical expenses and more in his or her case.
